Hill 


NOV  18  1915 


BX  9428  .B4  1915 

Beets,  Henry,  1869-1947. 

The  compendium  explained 


COMPENDIUM    EXPLAINED 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Archive 

in  2009  witii  funding  from 

Princeton  Tiieoiogicai  Seminary  Library 


http://www.arcliive.org/details/compendiumexplaiOObeet 


A  POPULAR  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 
ABRIDGEMENT  OF  THE  HEIDEL- 
BERG CATECHISM,  KNOWN  AS 
THE  "COMPENDIUM  OF  THE 
CHRISTIAN  RELIGION,"  OF  THE 
REFORMED  CHURCHES  OF  HOL- 
LAND,   AND    OF    HOLLAND   ORIGIN 


BY/- 

REV.  HENRY  BEETS,  LL.  D. 

With  an  Introduction  by 

PROF.  DR.  M.  KOLYN. 


1915 

EERDMANS-SEVENSMA  CO. 

Grand    Rapids,     Mich.,     U.    S.    A. 


Copyrighted   1915 

by 

Eerdmans-Sevensma  Co. 

and  Henry  Beets 


DEDICATED 

To  the  Beloved  Teacher  of  his  youth, 

PROF.  GEERHARDUS  VOS,  Ph.  D.,  D.  D. 

And  to  the  not  less  beloved 

LAGRAVE  AVE.  CHURCH, 

Served  during  a  blessed  ministry  of  nearly  1 6  years, 

By 

THE  AUTHOR. 


Presented  to- 


On  the  occasion  of- 


By 


FOREWORD. 


The  abridgement  or  KORT  BEGRIP  of  the  Heidelberg 
Catechism,  known  in  English  as  the  "COMPENDIUM  OF  THE 
CHRISTIAN  RELIGION,"  has  been  in  continual  use  in  the  Re- 
formed Churches  of  Holland  for  over  three  centuries.  Recom- 
mended by  the  great  Synod  of  Dordrecht  of  1618-19,  it  was 
printed  in  the  Psalters  alongside  the  standards  and  in  this 
manner  won  its  way  into  the  Dutch  Churches  of  South  Africa 
and  of  the  New  World,  as  well  as  into  those  of  the  Nether- 
lands. Because  its  answers  are  much  shorter  than  those  of 
the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  the  Compendium  has  been  used 
far  more  generally  in  catechetical  classes  in  Holland  than 
the  Catechism  in  its  complete  form,  and  such  is  still  more 
the  case  in  the  Reformed  Churches  of  North  America  and 
South  Africa. 

Several  Expositions  of  the  KORT  BEGRIP  have  been  pub- 
lished in  the  Dutch  language,  but  so  far  as  known  to  us 
nothing  of  the  kind  has  hitherto  appeared  in  English. 

Appreciating  the  value  of  the  Compendium,  and  realiz- 
ing the  need  of  a  popular  exposition  of  it  for  the  use  of  those 
of  our  Reformed  Churches  who  are  not  familiar  with  the 
Holland  language,  we  prepared   the  book  here   offered. 

WTiile  we  have  made  grateful  use  of  some  of  the  Dutch 
explanations  of  the  Compendium,  notably  of  Rev.  S.  Idema's 
"Toelichting  van  bet  Kort  Begrip,"  we  have  in  many  ways 
followed  our  own  plan  and  method.  Most  of  the  exposi- 
tions we  consulted  were  too  antiquated  in  treatment,  or  too 
brief,  and  none  of  them  reckoned  with  the  peculiar  religious 
surroundings  in  which  w^e  of  the  New  World  find  ourselves, 
and  which  call  for  constant  warnings  against  "old  foes  with 
new  faces,"  such  as  Mormonism,  Christian  Science,  Russel- 
ism,  Adventism,  etc.,  as  well  as  Evolutionism,  Theosophy,  etc., 
etc.  We  have  made  it  a  special  point  to  embody  as  much  as 
possible  the  utterances  of  the  official  standards  of  the  Reform- 
ed Churches.  The  complaint  is  often  heard  that,  while  our 
people  are  tolerably  well  acquainted  with  the  Heidelberg  Cate- 
chism, the  two  other  Reformed  standards,  the  Netherland 
Confession  of  Faith  and  the  Canons  of  Dordrecht,  are  sealed 
books  to  many  of  them.  Realizing  that  this  complaint  is  as 
just  as  the  fact  itself  is  deplorable,  we  have  incorporated  prac- 


tically  all  of  the  articles  of  the  Confession,  and  as  much  of  the 
Canons  as  proportionate  treatment  of  their  subjects  permitted. 
We  trust  that  this  peculiar  feature  will  appeal  to  all  who  know 
what  rich  treasures  of  divine  truth  are  contained  in  our  Re- 
formed Creed.  We  have  also  made  considerable  use  of  the 
Westminster  Catechisms,  particularly  in  the  case  of  defini- 
tions wherein  they  are  peculiarly  excellent. 

The  chapters  of  this  book  follow  those  of  the  COMPEN- 
DIUM ENLARGED  published  in  1903  by  the  present  writer 
and  his  never-to-be-forgotten  colleague,  the  late  Rev.  M.  J. 
Bosnia.  The  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED  really  is  designed 
as  a  commentary  on  the  COMPENDIUM  ENLARGED,  and  we 
hope  it  will  prove  useful  in  connection  with  this  little  book 
which  has  met  with  a  very  cordial  reception  in  the  Reformed 
Churches  of  Dutch  origin  in  the  U.  S.  The  "Questions  for 
Written  Work"  at  the  end  of  each  chapter  are  of  course  meant 
for  use  in  catechetical  classes,  although  they  will  be  helpful 
as  resumes  to  all  who  study  the  chapters.  To  facilitate 
answering  the  questions  we  print  a  full  INDEX  in  the  rear  of 
the  book. 

We  hereby  thank  Revs.  J.  Groen  and  J.  J.  Weersing,  and 
particularly  Prof.  W.  Heyns,  for  helpful  hints  while  writing 
the  work,  and  Prof.  Dr.  M.  Kolyn  for  his  kind  word  of  Intro- 
duction following  this  Foreword. 

The  binding  of  the  book  (blue  and  white)  is  in  the  colors 
of  the  Palatinate  in  which  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  was  com- 
posed, and  of  the  Elector  Frederick  III  whose  initiative 
brought  about  its  composition.  If  imitation  is  the  sincerest 
kind  of  flattery,  then  Prof.  Dr.  J.  I.  Good,  of  the  (German) 
Reformed  Church,  one  of  the  most  devoted  friends  of  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism  in  the  U.  S.,  has  reasons  to  feel  gratified. 
We  thank  him  for  his  interest  in  this  work. 

The  coat  of  arms  on  the  cover  and  title  page  is  a  repro- 
duction of  the  one  printed  on  the  title  page  of  the  first  edition 
of  the  Catechism  (in  German)  printed  in  1563. 

Committing  this  book  prayerfully  to  the  Great  Bishop 
and  Shepherd  of  his  Flock,  and  to  the  good  will  of  his  under- 
shepherds,  I  remain, 

Yours  truly, 

HENRY  BEETS, 

Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  U.  S.  A.,  July  29,  1915. 


A   WORD  OF   INTRODUCTION. 


No  one  who  appreciates  the  value  of  intelligence  in  re- 
ligion, can  fail  to  place  a  very  high  estimate  upon  catechetical 
instruction  to  the  young;  there  is  nothing  that  can  take  its 
place  of  thorough  instruction  in  the  fundamental  truths  of 
our  religion. 

Leaders  of  the  Church  have  therefore  always  felt  that 
careful  provision  must  be  made  for  this  form  of  christian 
effort,  and  manuals  of  instruction  of  various  kinds  have  been 
prepared  and  used.  The  story  of  catechisms,  both  before  and 
after  the  Reformation,  is  a  very  interesting  one.  But  for 
obvious  reasons  catechetical  manuals  were  most  abundantly 
produced  after  the  Reformation,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
formulating  reformatory  doctrines  and  principles. 

Among  these  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  occupies  a  very 
prominent  place,  and  its  Compendium  or  abridgement  shares 
with  the  Catechism  itself  in  the  love  and  devotion  of  all  who 
love  the  Reformed  faith.  In  the  important  work  of  indoc- 
trinating the  children  and  youth  of  the  Churches  of  the  Refor- 
mation, the  Compendium  has  been  a  very  helpful  manual. 

If  the  work  of  catechizing  is  exceedingly  important,  no 
one  who  has  attempted  it  seriously,  will  claim  that  it  is  with- 
out its  difficulties.  Not  a  few  men  who  have  excelled  in 
preaching,  have  failed  in  the  catechetical  exercise.  For  this 
reason  we  ought  to  welcome  any  aid  that  may  come  to  us  in 
the  pursuance  of  this  important  branch  of  the  pastoral  work. 
To  those  who  have  access  to  books  in  the  Dutch  language,  the 
need  of  an  additional  book,  explanatory  of  the  Compendium, 
may  not  at  once  appear.  An  extensive  literature  has  grown  up 
around  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  both  in  the  Netherlands 
and  in  Germany.  The  author  of  this  new  book,  "THE  COM- 
PENDIUM EXPLAINED,"  is  well  acquainted  with  this  liter- 
ature, but  apart  from  the  fact  that  not  much  has  appeared  in 
the  English  language,  he  feels  justified  in  offering  an  addi- 
tional book  upon  this  catechetical  manual. 

In  his  FOREWORD  he  says  frankly:  "Most  of  the  expo- 
sitions we  consulted  were  too  antiquated  in  treatment,  or  too 
brief,  and  none  of  them  reckoned  with  the  peculiar  religious 
surroundings  in  which  we  of  the  New  World  find  ourselves, 
and  which  call  for  constant  warnings  against  'old  foes  with 


new  faces,'  such  as  Mormonism,  Christian  Science,  Russellism, 
Adventisni,  etc.,  as  well  as  Evolutionism,  Theosophy,  etc.,  etc." 

One  of  the  difficulties  in  catechetical  work,  and  the  use  of 
the  old  manuals,  has  been  that  of  attempting  to  adapt  a  six- 
teenth century  catechism  to  a  twentieth  century  mode  of 
thought,  forms  of  expression  and  views  of  life.  And  when  I 
was  asked  by  Dr.  Beets  to  write  a  few  lines  of  introduction  to 
his  latest  work,  I  enquired  first  of  all  whether  he  had  this 
difficulty  in  mind,  and  if  so,  whether  he  had  succeeded  in 
offering  some  helpful  solution.  The  quotation  made  from  his 
FOREWORD  indicates  that,  this  very  thing  was  to  be  a  special 
feature  of  this  new  book,  and  I  was  at  once  interested,  for  I 
have  long  felt  that  old  truths  need  lo  be  stated  in  fresh  ways 
and  be  applied  to  present-day  problems  and  situations,  if  we 
would  secure  acceptance  for  the  truths  themselves  on  the  part 
of  those  whom  we  are  called  to  teach.  And  if  one  engages  to 
dress  the  old  Catechism  in  forms  of  expression  which  seem  to 
fit  it  in  with  the  thought  and  life  of  the  twentieth  century,  I 
am  interested. 

My  next  enquiry  was  to  ascertain  whether  the  author  had 
redeemed  his  promise  in  the  treatment  of  his  material.  Does 
he  succeed  in  making  the  Compendium  live  in  the  present 
age?  Does  he  connect  its  teachings  up  with  American  thought 
and  life?  Does  he  make  the  teacher  and  the  pupils  feel  that 
here  is  a  treasure  of  truth  that  is  as  applicable  to  the  twen- 
tieth century  as  to  the  sixteenth,  and  as  important  to  the 
people  of  the  United  States  as  it  ever  was  to  the  peoples  of 
Germany  and  the  Netherlands?  Does  he  make  the  Compen- 
dium usable?  After  a  somewhat  careful  examination,  espe- 
cially upon  this  point,  I  take  pleasure  in  stating  it  as  my  con- 
viction that  the  author  has  succeeded  to  an  admirable  degree 
in  carrying  out  his  purpose;  it  is  before  his  mind  from  the 
beginning,  and  is  adhered  to  till  the  end.  In  the  introductory 
chapter  the  reader  is  interested  at  once  and  his  attention  is 
arrested,  as  the  various  religions  of  the  world  are  made  to 
pass  in  review  before  his  mind;  after  all,  no  subject  is  so  uni- 
versally interesting  as  religion;  and  what  the  world  believes 
and  teaches  is  a  question  of  vital  human  interest;  the  author 
gives  a  glimpse  of  comparative  religion  wath  the  purpose  of 
preparing  the  mind  for  appreciating  the  infinite  superiority 
of  the  only  true  religion  as  made  known  by  divine  revelation. 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  treatment  of  the  various  topics  has 
the  following  commendable  features: 

1.  It  gives  to  each  subject  or  doctrine  an  interesting  his- 
torical setting,  indicating  its  relation  to  the  time  in  which  it 
was  written,  and  to  other  doctrines  to  which  it  stands  related. 

2.  It  compares  the  teachings  of  the  Compendium  with 


that  of  the  other  standards  of  our  Churches,  where  the  matter 
is  often  more  fully  stated,  and  with  the  historic  symbols  and 
catechisms  of  other  great  communions  in  the  Reformed  fam- 
ily; this  gives  a  comprehensiveness  that  is  illuminating  and 
inspiring. 

3.  It  shows  in  what  respects  these  doctrines  are  either 
neglected  or  perverted  or  denied  at  the  present  time,  and 
suggests  weapons  that  they  who  would  be  champions  for  the 
truth  may  use  effectively. 

To  illustrate:  in  treating  of  Infant  Baptism  in  Chapter 
XXIII.,  a  brief  historic  reference  is  made  to  the  Anabaptist 
movement,  and  it  is  made  clear  that  the  various  bodies  of 
Mennonites  and  Baptists  in  this  country  and  in  England  have 
a  common  origin;  incidentally  a  few  statistics  are  introduced 
which  bring  the  subject  up  to  date. 

In  treating  of  the  subject  of  "good  works,"  on  page  165, 
an  interesting  comparison  is  made  between  two  opposite 
opinions  which  have  been  held  as  to  the  value  of  good  works, 
and  the  relation  of  this  old  controversy  to  present-day 
religious  thinking  is  indicated,  and  the  impression  is  received 
that  the  treatment  of  this  subject  has  a  present  value,  which 
had  not  been  suspected. 

4.  One  more  feature  may  be  named,  namely,  the  "Ques- 
tions for  Written  Work,"  which  are  appended  to  each  chapter, 
and  which  can  be  made  of  great  service  as  an  aid  and  inspira- 
tion to  a  little  research  work  on  the  part  of  pupils. 

We  feel  certain  that  the  book  has  a  reason  for  being,  and 
can  be  a  very  effective  aid  in  the  important  work  of  cate- 
chetical instruction;  it  is  a  book  that  will  interest  both  teacher 
and  learners,  and  will  be  read  with  interest  and  profit  also  by 
the  general  reader,  who  desires  to  be  informed  in  regard  to 
the  great  facts  and  doctrines  of  our  religion. 

Bespeaking  for  the  book  a  ready  sale,  and  recommending 
its  use  in  the  catechetical  classroom,  while  believing  that  it  is 
calculated  to  contribute  towards  an  intelligent  Christianity, 
and  in  that  way  further  the  glory  of  Him  Who  is  the  God 
of  truth. 

Respectfully, 

MATTHEW  KOLYN. 
Holland,  Michigan, 
May  29,  1915. 


THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED. 


Popular  Exposition  of  the   Abridgement    of    the   Heidelberg 
Catechism  known  as  the    "Compendium  of  the  Chris- 
tian Religion"   of  the  Reformed  Churches  of 
Holland  and  of  Holland  origin. 


CHAPTER     I. 


INTRODUCTORY:     RELIGION  AND  THE  SOURCES  OF  ITS 

KNOWLEDGE.  GENERAL  AND  SPECIAL  REVELATION 

THE  BIBLE,  CREEDS  OF  CHRISTENDOM. 


The  Christian  Religion  is  the  proper  belief  in  and  service 
of  the  true  God.  It  includes  as  its  elements:  knowledge  of 
God,  love  toward  him,  and  obedience  to  him.  It  requires  an 
enlightened  mind,  a  renewed  heart,  and  a  sanctified  life. 
The  M'ord  "religion"  is  derived  from  two  Latin  words:  to 
gather,  or  to  bind,  again,  viz.  to  God. 

We  speak  of  the  "Christian"  Religion  because  it  was  re- 
vealed by  Christ  as  God's  chief  prophet,  is  based  on  his  work 
as  our  only  high  priest,  and  aims  to  gather  or  bind  us  again 
to  God  through  his  activity  as  our  eternal  king. 

The  name  "Christian  Religion"  is  also  used  to  distinguish 
our  religion  from  the  "religions"  of  the  heathen,  the  Moham- 
medans, and  the  Jews. 

1.  There  are  many  kinds  of  heathen  religions.  The 
oldest  of  them  is  Brahmanism,  said  to  be  founded  by  a  priest- 
ly caste  called  Brahmans,  during  the  early  days  of  the  Aryan 
race  in  India.  It  annuls  personality  and  declares:  every- 
thing is  God  and  God  is  everything.  In  the  course  of  time 
Brahmanism  was  merged  into  Hinduism,  which  believes  in 
many  millions  of  divine  beings  or  gods,  and  is  grossly  im- 
moral in  its  teachings,  and  inhuman  in  its  caste  system, 
which  divides  people  into  very  distinct  and  widely  separ- 
ated classes.  Buddhism  denies  that  there  is  an  eternal  God. 
God,  man,  life,  death,  eternity,  all,  is  nothing,  and  a  delusion. 

Taoism  is  mainly  devil-worship  in  the  sense  that  it  aims 
chiefly  at  the  pacifying  of  evil  spirits. 


THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


Confucianism  lays  all  stress  on  morality  and  ignores  the 
soul  and  God,  while  Shintoism  mainly  teaches  patriotism  and 
hero-worship.  The  followers  of  these  religions  are  found 
mostly  in  India,  China  and  Japan. 

The  Parsees  in  Persia  adhere  to  Zoroastrianism  which 
involves  fire-worship,  and  belief  in  a  good  God,  Ormazd,  and 
an  evil  one,  Ahriman,  between  whom  a  struggle  of  12,000 
years  is  to  go  on. 

In  Africa  many  heathen  are  living  who  practise  what  is 
called  Fetishism,  a  worship  of  all  kinds  of  material  things, 
living  and  dead,  to  which  they  ascribe  supernatural  powers. 
It. seems  to  be  connected  with  Animism,  or  the  worship  of  the 
souls  of  the  dead. 

The  Bantu  race  in  Africa  and  the  Indians  in  North  and 
South  America,  as  well  as  other  heathen  people  combine  their 
Poly-theism,  or  belief  in  many  gods,  with  Witchcraft,  filling 
them  with  constant  fear  for  evil  spirits. 

There  are  about  one  thousand  million  heathen  people 
of  all  kinds. 

What  a  challenge  to  missionary  zeal! 

We  call  these  heathen  religions  false  or  pseudo-religions, 
for,  although  they  contain  some  fragments  of  religious  truths, 
as  remnants  of  God's  revelation  in  Paradise  and  later,  and  are 
to  some  extent  manifestations  of  the  sense  of  religion  im- 
planted in  our  heart,  Acts  14:19,  and  Rom.  1:19,  so  much  in 
them  is  distorted,  untrue,  men-invented  and  no  doubt  sug- 
gested by  the  Devil,  that  they  contain  an  essentially  false  con- 
ception of  God  and  the  service  he  requires.  In  practical  life 
they  lead  to  God-i^rovoking  worship  of  idols,  to  soothsaying 
and  sorcery;  they  ignore  God's  holiness,  and  while  they  may 
have  some  ideas  concerning  deliverance  from  misery,  such  is 
not  sought  as  a  gift  of  God's  grace,  but  much  rather  endeavor 
is  made  from  man's  side  to  merit  salvation  by  works.  Con- 
sequently they  lead  astray  for  eternity.     Rom.  2:12. 

2.  Mohammedanism  is  also  classed  as  a  pseudo-religion. 
Founded  by  Mohammed,  an  Arab  who  died  in  632  after  Christ, 
it  is  a  mixture  of  Christianity,  the  Jewish  religion  and 
heathenism.  It  is  called  "Islam",  which  means  submission 
because  it  preaches  absolute  submission  to  the  decrees  of 
"Allah".  The  Mohammedan  "holy  book"  is  called  Koran. 
There  are  over  220,000,000  followers  of  the  false  prophet, 
divided  into  numerous  sects. 

3.  The  Jews  are  standing  closest  to  Christianity.  The 
orthodox  or  rabinical  Jews  claim  to  believe  in  the  Old 
Testament,  but  ascribe  equal  authority  to  the  Talmud,  a  large 


INTRODUCTORY 


work,  containing  and  discussing  civil  and  religious  laws,  the 
"Traditions  of  the  Fathers".  They  still  look  for  a  Messiah. 
The  Reformed  Jews,  many  of  whom  are  living  in  America, 
have  practically  discarded  the  religion  and  hope  of  their 
ancestors.  Still  more  astray  are  the  Radical  Jews,  to  whom 
Moses  is  a  mere  teacher,  the  prophets  mere  politicians,  poets 
and  orators.  They  deny  all  revelation  and  positive  religion. 
There  are  about  13,000,000  Jews  in  the  world  of  whom  over 
two  million  live  in  North  America. 

4.  Over  against  these  false  religions  of  the  heathen  and 
the  Mohammedans  and  the  falsified  religion  of  the  Christ- 
rejecting  Jews,  we  hold  the  Christian  religion  to  be  supreme," 
and  the  only  true  religion.  This  is  clearly  shown  by  the 
lofty  conception  of  God  which  it  contains,  by  its  inspired 
Book,  the  Bible,  by  its  blessed  and  uplifting  influence,  by  the 
light  and  comfort  and  satisfaction  it  brings  to  our  heart, 
mind  and  conscience,  and  also  because  the  truths  of  the 
Christian    Religion   have   been    revealed    to   mankind. 

All  the  knowledge  of  God  which  we  possess  is  derived 
from  God's  revelation  of  himself.  We  know  him  only  because 
and  in  sofar  as  he  has  revealed  himself,  and  made  our  mind 
capable  of  receiving  this  revelation  by  making  us  in  his 
image. 

5.  The  revelation  of  God  is  two-fold:  general  and  special, 
(a)     God's  general   revelation   is  written   in   our  heart, 

Rom.  2:14,15,  proclaimed  by  nature,  Ps.  19:1-3,  taught  by  the 
history  of  mankind,  by  the  conscience  and  the  experience  of 
the  individual,  and  by  science  and  art. 

In  fact  the  whole  world  shows  the  "footsteps"  of  God. 

Because  in  this  general  revelation  God  speaks  both  in 
man  and  through  man,  we  distinguish  between  a  two-fold 
knowledge  of  God,  viz.  innate  and  acquired. 

Innate  means:  born  in  us.  We  are  born  with  an  impres- 
sion that  there  is  a  Supreme  Being;  we  have  by  nature  what 
Calvin  called  the  "seed  of  religion",  the  germ  of  our  knowl- 
edge of  God,  of  justice  and  morality.  No  one  is  born  as  an 
"atheist",  i.  e.,  one  who  denies  the  existence  of  God.  There- 
fore Ps.  14  tells  us:  "the  fool  hath  said  in  his  heart:  there  is 
no  God". 

Acquired  knowledge  of  God  we  obtain  by  studying  the 
works  of  God  round  about  and  within  us.  While  the  agnos- 
tics claim  that  God  is  the  "Unknowable",  we  believe  that 
"the  invisible  things  of  him  from  the  creation  of  the  world 
are  clearly  seen,  being  perceived  through  the  things  that  are 
made,  even  his  everlasting  power  and  divinity". 


THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


That  God  exists  is  evident  because  the  world  must  have 
a  Maker  and  the  beautiful  order  and  constant  movement  in 
the  world  must  have  a  cause.  God's  power  is  shown  by  the 
way  he  fitted  earth  for  our  dwelling  place,  and  made  our  eyes, 
ears,  lungs  etc.  to  work  in  harmony  with  our  surroundings. 
God's  goodness  is  plain  as  we  consider  how  he  provides  for 
man  and  beast,  so  that  we  all  are  pensioners  living  on  his 
bounty.  (See  Ch.  VIII  for  detailed  arguments  proving  God's 
existence.) 

God's  wrath  is  also  revealed  by  nature,  in  all  manner  of 
afflictions,  individually  or  nationally  visited  on  us,  Rom.l:18. 
We  should  appreciate  this  general  revelation  of  God.  and  try 
daily  to  trace  his  footsteps  in  the  world,  and  his  finger  in  our 
own  life,  that  it  may  help  us  to  know,  love  and  serve  our  God. 

It  is  evident,  however,  that  this  general  revelation  is  not 
sufficient  for  us  sinners  to  be  reunited  to  our  Creator,  It 
does  not  show  us  how  we  can  be  reconciled  to  him.  If 
the  Almighty  had  left  us  to  the  dim  light  of  general  revelation, 
our  race  would  have  been  indeed: 

"An  infant  crying  in  the  night, 
An  infant  crying  for  the  light. 
And  with  no  language  but  a  cry." 

(b)  In  sovereign  mercy  special  revelation  was  granted, 
as  Article  II.  of  the  Netherland  Confession  of  Faith  tells: 

"We  know  him  by  two  means:  first,  by  the  creation,  pre- 
servation and  government  of  the  universe;  which  is  before 
our  eyes  as  a  most  elegant  book,  wherein  all  creatures,  great 
and  small,  are  as  so  many  characters  leading  us  to  contem- 
plate the  invisible  things  of  God,  namely,  his  eternal  power 
and  Godhead,  as  the  apostle  Paul  saith,  Rom.  1 :  20.  All  which 
things  are  sufficient  to  convince  men,  and  leave  them  without 
excuse.  Secondly,  he  makes  himself  more  clearly  and  fully 
known  to  us  by  his  holy  and  divine  Word;  that  is  to  sav,  as 
far  as  is  necessary  for  us  to  know  in  this  life,  to  his  glory 
and  our  salvation." 

In  the  earliest  period  of  the  history  of  God's  people  this 
revelation  was  given  through  dreams,  visions,  and  oral  com- 
munications, handed  down  orally  from  one  generation  to 
another.  Later,  as  stated  in  the  Confession,  beginning  with 
Moses,  1571-1451  B.  C,  it  was  committed  to  writing,  and  is 
contained  in  the  collection  of  books  called  the  Bible,  which 
word  is  the  plural  form  (biblia),  of  the  Greek  word  "biblion" 
which  signifies  a  little  book.  Other  names  given  to  the  sacred 
volume  are:  Holy  Scripture,  or  Holy  Scriptures,  Word  of  God, 
Holy  Writ,  etc. 


INTRODUCTORY 


This  revelation  contained  in  the  Bible  we  call  special;  (1) 
because  of  its  contents,  the  grace  of  God  toward  us  sinners; 
(2)  because  of  its  method,  or  manner  of  revelation,  prophecy, 
miracle;  (3)  because  of  its  extent,  coming  to  a  particular 
group  of  people;  (4)  because  of  its  purpose,  the  renewal  of 
the  sinner  and  the  restoration  of  God's  sin-ruined  creation. 
The  Bible  has  been  given  us  by  inspiration,  which  means  that 
the  Holy  Spirit,  the  primary  Author  of  the  Bible,  inspired, 
(literally:  "breathed  into")  certain  men  to  write  infallibly 
the  Word  of  God,  the  special  revelation  of  the  Almighty,  to 
us.  He  moved  them  to  write,  instructed  them  as  to  the  matter 
to  be  recorded,  and  directed  them  to  choose  the  proper  words, 
keeping  them  free  from  error.  Art.  HI  of  the  Confession 
states: 

"We  confess  that  this  Word  of  God  was  not  sent,  nor  de- 
livered by  the  will  of  man,  but  that  holy  men  of  God  spake  as 
they  were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  the  apostle  Peter  saith. 
And  that  afterwards  God,  from  a  special  care,  which  he  has  for 
us  and  our  salvation,  commanded  his  servants,  the  prophets 
and  apostles,  to  commit  his  revealed  word  to  writing;  and  he 
himself  wrote  with  his  own  linger,  the  two  tables  of  the  law. 
Therefore  we  call  such  writings  holy  and  divine  scriptures." 

This  inspiration  is  not  mechanical,  i.  e.  reducing  the 
writers  to  mere  machines,  neither  is  it  partial,  i.e.  only  cover- 
ing matters  of  faith  and  morals,  but  it  is  plenary  (full),  and 
literal  and  verbal  in  sofar  as  the  original  manuscripts  of  the 
Bible  are  concerned. 

The  Bible  does  not  simply  contain  the  Word  of  God,  as 
many  claim  in  our  day  who  hold  to  the  "Concept"  or 
"Thought"  inspiration,  leaving  men  in  an  awful  and  calam- 
itous uncertainty  of  what  is  and  what  is  not  "inspired,"  but 
the  Bible  is  the  Word  of  God,  all  of  its  contents  having  been 
written  down  by  inspiration.     2  Tim.  3:16. 

6.  But,  have  we  sufficient  grounds  to  maintain  this  all- 
important  contention  about  the  Bible  as  our  infallible  and  in- 
dispensable compass  on  the  Sea  of  Life?  And  we  can  answer, 
praised  be  God,  that  many  grounds  can  be  enumerated. 

1.  There  is,  first  of  all,  the  testimony  of  Christ,  of  great 
importance  for  us  since  many  infallible  signs  have  proven 
him  to  be  "God  manifested  in  the  flesh."  Everywhere  we 
find  him  quoting  the  O.  T.  as  divine,  as  the  revelation  of  his 
Father,  full  of  authority,  as  the  "Word  of  God,"  the  "Scrip- 
ture" which  "cannot  be  broken,"  John  10:35,  as  the  "Law"  of 


THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


which  not  even  "one  jot  or  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  away" 
till  all  be  fulfilled.    Matt.  5: 18;  11:  10;  John  5:  39;  Rev.  1 :  19. 

2.  The  testimony  of  the  apostles  may  be  mentioned  next. 
These  men  had  the  special  promise  that  the  Spirit  would 
guide  them  "into  all  the  truth,"  John  16:13,  and,  moved  by  that 
Spirit  of  Truth  they  spoke  and  wrote.  Paul  assured  the 
Thessalonians  that  his  message  was  indeed  "the  Word  of 
God,"  (1  Thess.  2:13),  and  those  who  brought  another  gospel 
were  to  be  accursed.  Gal.  1:8.  In  2  Tim.  3:16  he  testified  "all 
scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God,"  while  Peter  wrote 
equally  sweepingl>  :  "For  no  prophecy  ever  came  by  the  will 
of  men  but  men  spoke  from  God,  being  moved  bv  the  Holy 
Ghost,"   (2  Peter  1:21. 

3.  The  contents  of  the  Bible  bear  witness  to  their  inspir- 
ation. In  the  teachings  of  Buddha,  Zoroaster,  Confucius 
(Chapter  I),  and  other  heathen  authors,  there  may  be  jewels 
of  truth,  but  they  are  imbedded  in  swamps  of  untruth,  super- 
stition, childish  ignorance.  The  Bible  however  has  truth 
unmixed  wath  error,  it  contains  all  truth  we  need  to  know  to 
be  saved,  and  contains  more  divine  truth  within  its  small 
compass  than   all   other  books  combined  ! 

4.  The  influence  of  the  Bible  bears  witness  to  its  inspir- 
ation as  it  instructs,  uplifts,  purifies,  comforts,  renews,  as  no 
other  book. 

5.  The  fulfilled  prophecies  of  the  Bible  are  an  unanswer- 
able argument  in  favor  of  its  divine  origin.  What  the  Savior 
foretold  about  the  Jews  and  Jerusalem  and  the  seven  churches 
of  Asia  Minor,  and  what  the  O.  T.  prophets  predicted  about 
Judea,  Ammon,  Nineveh,  Babylon,  Tyre,  Sidon,  Egypt  etc. 
has  been  fulfilled  so  strikingly  as  to  prove  the  inspiration  of 
those  who  foretold  these  coming  things.  (Compare  Nelson 
on  "Infidelity,"  and  Keith  on  "Prophecy,"  for  details.) 

6.  The  mysteries  of  the  Bible  such  as  those  of  the 
Trinity,  creation  of  nothing,  the  two  natures  of  Christ,  the 
atonement,  etc.,  mysteries  so  entirely  beyond  human  com- 
prehension or  invention,  show  plainly  that  God  is  back  of  the 
book  which  revealed  them. 

7.  The  character  of  the  writers  of  the  Bible  testifies  to 
its  authority.  Those  who  wrote  it  were  too  intelligent  to  be 
deluded,  and  too  noble  to  delude  others,  their  lives  and  deaths 
bearing  witness  to  these  things. 

8.  The  remarkable  unity  of  the  Word  of  God  also  testifies 
to  its  divine  origin,  and  trustworthy  character.  Although 
seventeen  centuries  elapsed  between  the  writing  of  the  first 


INTRODUCTORY 


books  and  the  last,  and  although  men  of  difi'erent  stations  of 
life  and  different  degrees  of  culture  contributed  to  it,  yet 
throughout  the  Bible  there  is  wonderful  continuity,  striking, 
gradual  development  of  ideas,  and  marvelous  harmony.  As 
a  vast  building,  erected  from  stones  brought  from  widely 
separated  quarries,  and  of  all  manner  of  shapes,  and  built 
during  a  lengthy  period,  but  of  wonderful  unity  of  concep- 
tion and  great  harmony  of  outlines  and  details,  shows  one 
master  mind  which  drew  the  plans  and  gave  to  each  worker 
his  individual  instructions,  so  the  unity  and  harmony  of  the 
Bible  proclaim  one  Author — God. 

We  may  briefl>  allude  to  still  more  arguments,  such  as: 

9.  The  confirmation  of  Bible  statements  by  recent  exca- 
vations and  discoveries  in  the  East,  such  as  those  about  Darius, 
Belshazzar,  Nineveh,  the  Hittites  etc.; 

10.  The  acceptance  of  the  Bible  by  the  Church  of  all 
ages,  especially  in  its  purest  periods.  The  closer  one  lives 
to  God,  the  more  he  loves  the  Bible; 

11.  The  Bible's  ability  to  outlast  all  attacks.  "Hammer 
away,  ye  hostile  bands,  the  hammers  break,  the  anvil  stands;" 

12.  The  character  of  its  enemies,  often  the  profane,  the 
scoffers,  the  profligates  and  the  rebellious;  and  of  its  friends: 
those  who  fear  God  and  try  to  walk  in  humility,  faith  and 
love. 

13.  Its  impartial  way  of  describing  the  lives  of  the  Bible 
heroes,  without  hiding  their  faults. 

14.  Last  but  not  least,  we  accept  the  Bible  as  inspired, 
divine  and  holy,  because  of  the  testimony  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  hearts  of  the  true  believers.  One  cannot  fully  and 
truly  acknowledge  the  Scripture  as  the  Word  of  God,  before 
having  heard  out  of  Scripture  the  voice  of  God  speaking  to 
him.  Art.  V  of  the  Confession  states  the  following  about  this 
testimony: 

"We  receive  all  these  books,  and  these  only,  as  holy  and 
canonical,  for  the  regulation,  foundation,  and  confirmation  of 
our  faith;  believing  without  any  doubt,  all  things  contained  in 
them,  not  so  much  because  the  Church  receives  and  approves 
them  as  such,  but  more  especially  because  the  Holy  Ghost 
witnesseth  in  our  hearts,  that  they  are  from  God,  whereof  they 
carry  the  evidence  in  themselves.  For  the  very  blind  are  able 
to  perceive  that  the  things  foretold  in  them  are  fulfilling." 

Read  1  Cor.  2:12;  2  Cor.  4:6;  Ps.  43:3;  119:18;  John  6:45; 
16:3;  1  Thess.  1:5;  Eph.  1:17,  18. 


THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


7.  As  to  the  number  of  the  Bible  books,  the  Reformed 
Churches  accept  sixty-six  as  being  inspired  and  canonical, 
of  which  39  are  contained  in  the  Old  Testament  part  and  27  in 
the  New  Testament  part  of  the  Word  of  God.  Art.  IV  of  the 
Confession  declares: 

"We  believe  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  are  contained  in  two 
books,  namely,  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  which  are  canon- 
ical, against  which  nothing  can  be  alleged.  These  are  thus 
named  in  the  Church  of  God.  The  books  of  the  Old  Testament 
are,  the  five  books  of  Moses,  viz.:  Genesis,  Exodus,  Leviticus, 
Numbers,  Deuteronomy;  the  book  of  Joshua,  Judges,  Huth, 
two  books  of  Samuel,  and  two  of  the  Kings;  two  books  of  the 
Chronicles,  commonly  called  Paralipomenon.  the  first  of  Ezra, 
Neheniiah,  Esther,  Job,  the  Psalms  of  David,  the  three  books 
of  Solomon,  namely,  the  Proverbs,  Ecclesiastes,  and  the  Song 
of  Songs;  the  four  great  prophets,  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel 
and  Daniel;  and  the  twelve  lesser  prophets,  namely,  Hosea, 
Joel,  Amos,  Obadiah,  Jonah,  Micah,  Nahum,  Habakkuk,  Zepha- 
niah,  Haggai,  Zechariah,  and  Malachi. 

Those  of  the  New  Testament  are  the  four  evangelists,  viz.: 
Matthew,  Mark,  Luke  and  John;  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles;  the 
fourteen  epistles  of  the  apostle  Paul,  viz.:  one  to  the  Romans, 
two  to  the  Corinthians,  one  to  the  Galatians,  one  to  the  Ephes- 
ians,  one  to  the  Philippians,  one  to  the  Colossians,  two  to  the 
Thessalonians,  two  to  Timothy,  one  to  Titus,  one  to  Philemon, 
and  one  to  the  Hebrews;  the  seven  epistles  of  the  other 
apostles,  namely,  one  of  James,  two  of  Peter,  three  of  John, 
one  of  Jude;  and  the  Revelation  of  the  Apostle  John." 

These  books  are  called  "canonical"  because  they  form 
the  Canon  or  Rule  of  our  faith  and  life.  The  0.  T.  Canon 
was  closed  after  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  the  Babylonian 
Captivity,  by  the  learned  men  who  formed  what  was  named 
the  "Great  Synagogue,"  about  132  B.  C.  Ezra  and  Nehemiah 
took  part  in  this  labor,  as  shown  by  2  Maccabees,  2:13. 
Josephus'  list  of  Bible  books  of  the  Jews,  whose  history  he 
composed,  between  37  and  96  A.  D.,  covers  all  the  O.  T.  books 
which  we  consider  canonical.  Rom.  3:21.  The  N.  T.  Canon 
was  closed  at  the  councils  of  Hippo,  393  A.  D.,  and  Carthage, 
397. 

We  speak  of  the  66  books  of  the  Bible  as  canonical  to  dis- 
tinguish them  from  the  so-called  apocryphal  or  hidden  books, 
which  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  acknowledges  as  equally 
divine  and  inspired  as  the  others.  The  Reformed  Churches 
reject  them  in  the  sense  expressed  in  Art.  VI  of  the  Con- 
fession: 


INTRODUCTORY 


"We  distinguish  those  sacred  books  from  the  apocryphal, 
viz.:  the  third  and  fourth  book  of  Esdras,  the  books  of  Tobias, 
Judith,  Wisdom,  Jesus  Syrach,  Baruch,  the  appendix  to  the 
book  of  Esther,  the  Song  of  the  three  Children  in  the  Furnace, 
the  history  of  Susannah,  of  Bell  and  the  Dragon,  the  prayer  of 
Manasses,  and  the  two  books  of  the  Maccabees.  All  of  which 
the  Church  may  read  and  take  instruction  from,  so  far  as  they 
agree  with  the  canonical  books;  but  they  are  far  from  having 
such  power  and  efficacy,  as  that  we  may  from  their  testimony 
confirm  any  point  of  faith,  or  of  the  christian  religion;  much 
less  detract  from  the  authority  of  the  other  sacred  books." 

8.  The  Word  of  God  possesses  certain  attributes  or  qual- 
ities which  are  usually  described  as  the  necessity,  plainness, 
completeness  and  authority  of  the  Bible. 

This  Necessity  is  denied  by  Quakers  and  other  Mystics 
and  Spiritists,  who  speak  of  the  "inner  light."  Isa.  8:  20,  how- 
ever, tells  us: 

"To  the  law  and  to  the  testimony  !  if  they  speak  not 
according  to  this  word,  surely  there  is  no  morning  for  them." 
Compare  John  5:39;  1  Tim.  3:16. 

The  Plainness,  or  Perspecuity  of  the  Word  of  God  ex- 
presses that  it  is  sufficiently  plain  and  clear  to  make  us  wise 
unto  salvation,  so  that  we  do  not  need  popes  and  church 
councils  to  explain  the  true  meaning  of  the  Bible  to  us,  as 
the  Romanists  do  who  assert  that  the  reading  of  the  Bible 
according  to  private,  individual  interpretation,  is  not  suf- 
ficient to  learn  Christ's  religion.  This  however  is  contrary 
to  the  express  statements  of  the  Bible  which  call  it  a  light, 
and  able  to  make  us  wise  unto  salvation.  Ps.  119:105;  John 
5:  39;  Rom.  15:  45;  2  Tim.  3: 16. 

Concerning  the  Completeness  or  Sufficiency  of  Holy  Writ, 
Art.  VII.  of  the  Confession  states: 

"We  believe  that  those  Holy  Scriptures  fully  contain  the 
will  of  God,  and  that  whatsoever  man  ought  to  believe,  unto 
salvation,  is  sufficiently  taught  therein.  For  since  the  whole 
manner  of  worship,  which  God  reciuires  of  us,  is  written  in 
them  at  large,  it  is  unlawful  for  any  one,  though  an  apostle, 
to  teach  otherwise  than  we  are  now  taught  in  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures: nay,  though  it  were  an  angel  from  heaven,  as  the  apostle 
Paul  saith.  For,  since  it  is  forbidden,  to  add  unto  or  take  away 
anything  from  the  Word  of  God,  it  doth  thereby  evidently  ap- 
pear, that  the  doctrine  thereof  is  most  perfect  and  complete  in 
all  respects.  Neither  may  we  compare  any  writings  of  men, 
though  ever  so  holy,  wath  those  divine  Scriptures,  nor  ought 
we  to  compare  custom,  or  the  great  multitude,  or  antiquity,  or 


10  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

succession  of  times  or  persons,  or  councils,  decrees  or  statutes, 
with  the  truth  of  God,  for  the  truth  is  above  all;  for  all  men 
are  of  themselves  liars,  and  more  vain  than  vanity  itself. 
Therefore,  we  reject  with  all  our  hearts,  whatsoever  doth  not 
agree  with  this  infallible  rule,  which  the  apostles  have  taught 
us,  saying,  Try  the  spirits  whether  they  are  of  God.  Likewise, 
if  there  come  any  unto  you,  and  bring  not  this  doctrine,  receive 
him  not  into  your  house."    Matt.  15:  9;  Isa.  8:  20. 

In  our  da>s  the  Completeness  has  been  denied  by  the 
Mormons,  who  place  their  "Book  of  Mormon,"  (published  in 
1830),  and  their  "Book  of  Doctrines  and  Covenants"  on  a  par 
with  the  Bible,  while  Christian  Scientists  practically  put  their 
"Science  and  Health,"  written  in  1875,  on  a  level  with  the 
Word  of  God. 

The  Authority  of  the  Bible  means  that  the  Word  of  God 
is  the  only  rule  of  our  faith  and  life,  to  be  believed  and 
obeyed.  Rome  places  the  Church  above  the  Bible,  and  Ration- 
alism, and  Higher  Criticism  make  human  reason  its  judge. 
But  we  claim  that  the  Word  is  the  basis  of  the  Church,  Deut. 
4:1;  Isa.  8:20;  Ez.  20:19;  Luke  16:19;  John  5:29,  while  Paul 
speaks  in  2  Cor.  10:5  of  "bringing  every  thought  into  captivity 
to  the  obedience  of  Christ."  We  are  not  to  judge  the  Bible; 
it  judges  us.  Herein  lies  the  ground  of  all  true  authority  in 
preaching. 

9.  The  Old  Testament  was  written  originally  in  the 
Hebrew  language,  except  a  few  portions  which  are  in  the 
Chaldee  tongue,  viz.,  Ezra  4:8;  6:19;  7:12-27;  Jer.  10:11,  and 
Dan.  2:4—7:28. 

The  New  Testament  was  written  in  the  Greek  language. 

The  three  oldest  Bibles  are  in  manuscript  form  and  are 
known  as  the  Vatican,  Sinaitic  and  Alexandrine  Manuscripts 
or  Codices. 

The  Septuagint  is  the  name  given  to  a  famous  transla- 
tion of  the  O.  T.  in  the  Greek  tongue  (285  A.  D.),  and  the 
Vulgate  is  an  old  translation  into  Latin,  dating  from  380. 
From  this  Vulgate  the  English  "reformer  before  the  Refor- 
mation," Wycliffe,  translated  the  N.  T.  in  English  in  1380. 
Luther  published  the  whole  Bible  in  German  in  1534.  The 
Dutch  "States  Bible"  appeared  in  1637,  taking  its  name  from 
the  States  General  which  ruled  the  Netherlands  at  the  time. 
The  English  Authorized  or  King  James  Version,  dates  from 
1611,  while  the  English  Revised  Version  appeared  in  1885, 
and  the  American  Standard  Version  in  1901. 


INTRODUCTORY  11 


The  division  of  the  Bible  into  chapters  is  ascribed  to 
Stephen  Langton,  who  died  in  1228,  while  others  claim  this 
was  done  by  Hugo  of  St.  Cher,  about  1240.  In  1551  the  N.  T. 
was  divided  into  verses  by  Robert  Stephen.  In  1528  the  0.  T. 
had  been  printed  already  with  verse  divisions. 

10.  The  Creeds  of  Christendom  are  the  official  statements 
of  the  belief  of  the  Churches  which  uphold  them  as  their 
"Standards."  They  were  formulated  originally  to  combat 
heretics  who  usually  appealed  to  some  statement  of  the  Bible 
to  support  their  false  views. 

They  were  also  made  to  give  to  outsiders  an  account  of 
what  was  held  by  the  Christian  believers  in  common,  and 
likewise  served  as  a  bond  of  union  between  them,  as  well  as 
being  the  consensus  of  their  opinions  concernmg  the  cardinal 
doctrines  of  their  faith.  The  difference  between  God's  Word 
and  doctrinal  standards  is:  1,  the  Bible  is  judge  of  the 
Confession,  not  the  reverse;  2,  the  Bible  is  the  Word  of  God, 
the  Standards  in  their  formulations  are  words  of  men;  3,  the 
Bible  is  necessary  to  salvation,  the  Standards  only  for  the 
position  and  communion  of  the  churches;  4,  the  Bible  is 
unchangeable,  the  Standards  can  be  improved  and  revised. 

The  generally  adopted  or  ecumenical  creeds  are  four  in 
number:  The  Apostles'  Creed,  complete  in  its  present  form 
in  about  500  A.  D.;  the  Creed  of  Nicea,  325,  defending  the 
divinity  of  Christ;  the  Creed  of  Athanasius,  mainly  a  defense 
of  the  Holy  Trinity,  (about  360),  and  the  Creed  of  Chalcedon, 
451,  defining  the  relations  between  the  two  natures  of  Christ, 

In  the  days  of  the  Reformation  the  Roman  Catholics  form- 
ulated their  Canons,  Decrees  and  Profession  of  Tridentine 
Faith  in  1563  and  1564.  The  Orthodox  Confession  of  Faith  of 
the  Eastern  Church  was  adopted  in  1643.  Luther  published 
his  Smaller  Catechism  in  1529.  The  Augsburg  Confession 
dates  from  1530.  The  Church  of  England  published  its  Con- 
fession of  Thirty-nine  Articles  in  1563-1571,  while  the  Presby- 
terians gave  to  the  world  their  valuable  Westminster  Confes- 
sion and  Larger  and  Shorter  Catechisms  in  1643-1649. 

The  Reformed  Churches  of  the  Netherlands,  in  the  course 
of  time  adopted  three  "Formulas  of  Unity,"  viz.:  the  Heidel- 
berg Catechism,  (1563)  written  by  Ursinus  and  Olevianus, 
two  German  professors  in  Heidelberg,  in  the  Palatinate,  in 


12  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

Germany,  and  also  the  official  Standard  of  the  Reformed 
Churches  of  German  and  Swiss  and  Hungarian  origin;  the 
Belgic  or  Netherland  Confession  of  Faith,  consisting  of  37 
articles,  and  written  mainly  by  Guido  de  Bray,  in  1559;  and 
the  Canons  of  Dordrecht,  five  articles  against  the  Arminians 
or  Remonstrants,  promulgated  in  Dordrecht  in  1619. 

Of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  an  abridgement  or  "Compen- 
dium" w^as  prepared  in  1608  by  the  Rev.  H.  Faukelius,  of 
Middelburg,  Neths.  It  was  recommended  by  the  Synod  of 
Dordrecht,  1618-19.  It  is  this  "Compendium  of  the  Christian 
Religion"  which  forms  the  basis  of  this  book.  Our  American 
version  in  its  present  form  was  made  by  the  Rev.  Archibald 
Laidlie,  and  first  published  in  1767. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  What  is  the  Christian  Religion? 

2  What  are  the  elements  of  the  true  religion? 

3  What  does  the  true  religion  require  of  us? 

4  H^ow  many  kinds  of  false  religions  can  you  mention? 

5  Why  do  we  call  them  false  or  pseudo-reUgions? 

6  What  can  you  say  about  Mohammedanism? 

7  How  many  parties  are  found  among  the  Jews  of  today? 

8  What  is  the  Talmud? 

9  Why  do  we  hold  the  Christian  Religion  supreme  and  the  only  true  one? 

10  How  many  kinds  of  revelation  do  we  speak  of? 

11  In  which  way  does  the  general  revelation  reach  us? 

12  What  is  meant  by  the  innate  knowledge  of  God? 

13  What  does  the  acquired  knowledge  of  God  teach  us  about  God? 

14  Why  do  we  call  the  revelation  of  God  through  the  Bible  a  special  reve- 

lation? 

15  What  is  meant  by  inspiration? 

16  Which  reasons  for  holding  that  the   Bible   is   divine  and  inspired  can 

you  give? 

17  Which  are  the  attributes  of  the  Bible? 

18  Mention  the  main  versions  of  the  Bible. 

19  Which  are  the  ecumenical  Creeds? 

20  What  can  you  tell  about  the  three  confessional  writings  of  the  Reformed 

Churches  of  Holland  origin? 


THE   FIRST   PART. 


Of  the  Misery  of  Man. 


CHAPTER     II. 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S  COMFORT;  THE  THREE  MEANS  TO 
OBTAIN  IT;  THE  LAW  AS  TEACHER  OF  SIN. 


Q.  1  How  many  things  are  necessary  for  thee  to  know,  that  thou  en- 
joying real  comfort  mayest  live  and  die  happily? 

A.  Three:     first,  how  great  my  sins  and  miseries  are;  the  second, 

how  I  may  be  delivered  from  all  my  sins  and  miseries;  the 
third,  how  I  shall  express  my  gratitude  to  G-od  for  such  de- 
liverance. 

Q.  2     Whence  knowest  thou  thy  misery? 

A.  Out  of  the  law  of  God. 

Q.   3     What  hath  God  commanded  thee  in  his  law? 

A.  That  is  contained  in  the  ten  commandments,  which  he  hath  re- 

vealed in  Scripture,    Ex.  20  and  Deut.  5. 

Q.   4     How  are  the  ten  commandments  divided? 

A.  In  two  tables. 

Q.  5  Which  is  the  sum  of  what  God  requires  of  thee  in  the  four  com- 
mandments of  the  first  table? 

A.  That  I  love  the  Lord  my  God,  with  all  my  heart,  with  all  my 

soul,  with  all  my  mind,  and  with  all  my  strength:  this  is  the 
first  and  great  commandment. 

Q.  6  Which  is  the  sum  of  what  God  commands  thee  in  the  six  com- 
mandments of  the  second  table? 

A.  That  I  love  my  neighbor  as   myself:    on   these   two   command- 

ments hang  the  whole  law  and  the  prophets. 

1.  The  Christian  Religion  has  been  revealed  and  is  prop- 
agated with  the  grand  and  primary  purpose  of  glorifying 
God.  The  Bible  assures  us:  "This  people  have  I  formed  for 
myself,  they  shall  show  forth  my  praise,"  Isa.  43:21.  Prov. 
16:14  tells  us:  "The  LORD  hath  made  all  things  for  himself," 
while  Paul  commands  the  Church,  in  whatever  it  does,  to 
glorify  God.  For  that  matter,  even  "the  heavens  declare  the 
glory  of  God,"  Ps.  19:1.  It  is  the  glory  of  Calvinism  to  have 
emphasized  this  great  biblical  truth  as  no  other  system  of 
religion  has  done.     To  bring  this  out  the  authors  of  the  Pres- 


14  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


byterian  Westminster  Catechisms  gave  as  answer  to  the  first 
question  about  the  chief  end  of  man:  "Man's  chief  end  is  to 
glorify    God." 

But  in  that  same  famous  answer  there  is  added:  "and  to 
enjoy  him  forever."  That  is  because  the  Christian  Religion 
has  as  its  secondary  aim  the  promoting  of  the  highest,  best, 
and  most  enduring  interests  of  the  children  of  men.  The 
Heidelberg  Catechism,  from  its  nature  as  a  practical  hand- 
book of  doctrine  lays  stress  on  that  feature.  Therefore  its 
opening  question,  as  well  as  the  first  question  of  the  Compen- 
dium, is  about  the  Comfort  to  be  enjoyed  in  life  and  in  death 
as  the  blessed  fruit  of  that  religion  whose  fundamental  truths 
it  explains.  And  in  that  manner  the  glorification  of  God  is 
brought    about. 

2.  "Comfort"  signifies  a  state  of  ease  and  satisfaction; 
freedom  from  care  and  distress  and  confidence  that  all  will 
be  turned  to  our  true  advantage.  Our  English  word  com-fort 
comes  from  two  Latin  words,  meaning:  to  be  brave  and 
strong,  together.  It  presupposes  some  means  or  person  in 
communion  with  which  we  become  brave  and  strong.  The 
Dutch  and  German  words  for  comfort  (troost,  Trost),  are  re- 
lated to  the  English  word  "trust."  They  express  reliance  on 
some  one,  whereby  we  feel  at  ease,  satisfied,  trustful. 

Comfort  is  a  blessed  possession.  It  gives  us  strength  in 
the  hour  of  trial,  and  it  brings  impulses  to  praise  God,  so  that 
in  that  manner  we  begin  to  reach  the  purpose  of  our  creation. 

Such  comfort  is  needed  in  general  because  the  world  is 
full  of  w^oe,  misery,  sorrow,  around  us,  back  of  us,  and  often 
ahead  of  us.  In  particular  do  we  need  comfort  at  certain 
moments  of  our  life.  In  the  day  of  bodily  illness  we  need 
it,  when  disappointments  crush  our  hopes,  break  our  hearts, 
and  ruin  our  prospects,  when  our  best  friends  turn  their 
back  upon  us,  when  our  beloved  are  snatched  away  from  us, 
or  when  spiritual  distress  overtakes  us,  when  our  sins  trouble 
us,  or  when  the  Devil  tempts  us.  At  such  times  we  need  com- 
fort such  as  the  true  religion  brings. 

At  the  moment  of  death  also  it  is  needed,  when: 
"Swift  to  its  close  ebbs  out  life's  little  day 
Earth's  joys  grow  dim,  its  glories  pass  away, 
Change  and  decay  we  all  around  us  see  ..." 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S  COMFORT  AND  THE  LAW  15 

What  is  the  comfort  that  will  hold  out,  even  in  the  face  of 
foes,  of  sins,  of  devil  and  of  death?  It  is  the  consolation  of 
the  christian,  who  can  say:  "That  I,  with  body  and  soul,  both 
in  life  and  death,  am  not  my  own,  but  belong  to  my  faithful 
Savior  Jesus  Christ." 

3.  "How  many  things  are  necessary  for  thee  to  know, 
that  thou,  enjoying  real  comfort,  mayest  live  and  die  hap- 
pily?" the  opening  question  of  the  Compendium  asks.  And 
the  answer  is:  "Three:  first,  how  great  my  sins  and  miseries 
are;  secondly,  how  I  may  be  delivered  from  all  my  sins  and 
miseries;  thirdly,  how  I  shall  express  my  gratitude  to  God  for 
such  deliverance." 

This  threefold  division  is  not  arbitrary.  It  fits  our  rela- 
tion to  the  triune  God,  whom  to  know,  to  love  and  to  serve 
is  the  very  essence  of  our  religion.  When  we  learn  to  know, 
personally  and  experimentally,  how  great  our  sins  and 
miseries  are  it  brings  us  in  repentance  before  God  the  Father. 
In  deliverance  we  come  to  seek  the  Son,  in  the  way  of  faith. 
In  a  life  of  gratitude  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  divine  person  who 
stands  upon  the  foreground  in  our  sanctification. 

The  threefold  division  also  corresponds  to  the  three 
offices  of  Christ.  To  learn  of  our  sin  we  need  him  as  prophet; 
for  redemption  Christ  as  priest  is  indispensable;  in  grati- 
tude Christ  as  king  is  to  control  us  in  our  struggle  to  live  to 
the  praise  of  God,  in  christian  obedience. 

These  three  parts  are  as  the  links  of  a  chain  which  cannot 
be  separated.  Unless  we  realize  our  sin  and  misery  we  shall 
not  feel  the  absolute  need  of  redemption,  and  without  both 
these  preceding  discoveries  we  cannot  be  truly  thankful. 
These  elements  are  dependent  the  one  upon  the  other,  and 
closely  and  vitally  related.  Paul  based  upon  them  his  ar- 
rangement of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  and  mentioned  them 
as  in  one  breath  in  Rom.  7:24,  25:  "0  wretched  man  that  I 
am,  who  shall  deliver  me  out  of  the  body  of  this  death?  I 
thank  God,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."  Compare  Eph. 
5:8-10;  Ps.  40:1-4;  Ps.   130:1-4. 

Blessed  are  those  who  experience  these  three  parts  ! 
Without  a  realization  of  them  we  cannot  be  saved.  There- 
fore also  they  are  brought  out  plainly  in  the  Forms  for  the 


16  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

administration  of  Baptism  and  Communion  used  by  the  Re- 
formed Churches.* 

The  chief  contents  of  the  Compendium  may  be  sum- 
marized thus: 

SIN  REPENTANCE  FATHER 

DELIVERANCE         FAITH  SON 

GRATITUDE  OBEDIENCE  SPIRIT 

The  Compendium  speaks  first  of  all  of  the  means  to 
obtain  the  knowledge  of  our  Misery,  (Q.  2-6) ;  then  of  its 
source,  (Q.  8-11);  and  finally  of  its  extent,  (Q.  7,  12,  13). 

4.  Misery  comes  from  a  Latin  word  signifying  wretched- 
ness. The  German  and  Dutch  words  for  this  (Elend, 
ellende),  have  reference  to  exile,  to  being  removed  from  one's 
land,  and  proper  sphere  of  life.  These  terms  very  appropri- 
ately describe  our  condition  through  sin.  We  are  wretched, 
because  we  are  exiles,  wandering  far  from  the  Father's 
Home,  roaming  in  darkness,  in  danger  of  destruction.  To  be 
saved  we  must  come  to  KNOW  this,  Jer.  3:13:  "Only  ac- 
knowledge, (margin:  know),  thine  iniquity,  that  thou 
hast  transgressed  against  Jehovah  thy  God." 

Without  such  knowledge  deliverance  will  neither  be 
sought  nor  appreciated. 

5.  How  extensive  must  it  be?  It  should  be  wide  enough 
and  deep  enough  so  that  we  confess  as  did  Job:  "I  abhor  my- 
self, and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes."  We  must  realize  to 
some  extent  that  sin  is  God-provoking  in  its  nature,  awful  in 
its  manifestation,  and  as  a  result  bringing  us  under  the  just 
indignation  of  a  righteous  and  holy  God.  Moreover  we 
must  see  sin  as  rendering  us  personally  guilty  before  God, 
as  well  as  a  race,  while  the  disabling  nature  of  sin  and  con- 
sequent helplessness  in  ourselves  must  likewise  be  recog- 
nized.    In  short,  we  must  come  to  see: 

"Sin,  like  a  venomous   disease 
Infects  our  vital  blood, 
The  only  help  is  sovereign  grace. 
The  sole  Physician — God." 

Such  conviction  will  lead  us  to  seek  salvation  out  of  our- 


*  other  Forms,  belonging  to  the  Liturgy  of  the  Reformed  Churches,  are 
designed  for  the  installation  of  pastors,  elders  and  deacons,  for  excommunica- 
tion, and  restoration  of  the  penitent,  and  for  marriage. 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S  COMFORT  AND  THE  LAW  17 

selves,  in  Christ  Jesus.    Blessed  if  it  is  ours,  reader  I    Have 
we  come  to  realize  this? 

6.  Whence  knowest  thou  thy  misery?"  it  is  asked.  To 
ask  this  is  eminently  proper.  Men  do  not,  of  themselves 
rightly  know  their  misery,  nor  its  origin,  nor  its  extent,  the 
way  it  should  be  known.  While  we  all  have  some  knowledge 
of  our  imperfection  and  sinfulness,  and  all  experience  the 
results  of  our  misery  lime  and  again  in  sickness,  sorrow, 
and  death,  their  real  meaning  is  hidden  from  us  by  nature. 
Nor  do  we  properly  understand  the  true  cause  of  it  all,  while 
its  woeful  extent  is  likewise  unknown  to  us.  The  evils  of  life 
are  usually  ascribed  by  the  unconverted  to  secondary  causes: 
to  men,  to  society,  to  fate,  to  the  inevitable  struggle  for  exist- 
ence, to  ignorance  of  the  so-called  "laws  of  nature,"  to  misfor- 
tune, to  enemies,  or  even  to  birth  "under  an  unlucky  star." 

We  need  better  ideas  than  these,  and  more  reliable  in- 
struction ! 

Therefore  the  Compendium  answers  that  we  know  our 
misery  "out  of  the  law  of  God."  That  is  the  divinely  given 
standard,  to  show  us  what  we  should  be,  and,  alas,  are  no 
longer. 

The  Law  referred  to  is  the  Moral  Law,  the  Law  of  the  Ten 
Commandments,  recorded  in  Ex.  20  and  repeated  in  Deut.  5. 
It  is  sometimes  called  the  "Ten  Words,"  or  Decalogue.  This 
Law  was  given  in  1491  B.  C,  while  Israel  was  encamped  near 
Mt.  Sinai.  We  call  it  Moral  Law  because  it  covers  our  life  as 
we  are  to  live  it  before  God,  as  a  truly  "moral"  life  in  the  best 
sense  of  the  expression.  This  name  is  also  given  to  distin- 
guish it  from  the  Ceremonial  Law  covering  the  religious  rites 
or  ceremonies  of  Israel,  and  from  the  Civil  Law,  governing 
the  Jewish  people  as  a  nation.  The  Ceremonial  Law  has  been 
abolished,  as  stated  in  Art.  XXV  of  our  Confession  of  Faith: 

"We  believe,  that  the  ceremonies  and  figures  of  the  law 
ceased  at  the  coming  of  Christ,  and  that  all  the  shadows  are 
accomplished;  so  that  the  use  of  them  must  be  abolished 
amongst  Christians;  yet  the  truth  and  substance  of  them  re- 
main with  us  in  Jesus  Christ,  in  whom  they  have  their  com- 
pletion. In  the  meantime,  we  still  use  the  testimonies  taken 
out  of  the  law  and  the  prophets,  to  confirm  us  in  the  doctrine 
of  the  gospel,  and  to  regulate  our  life  in  all  honesty,  to  the 
glory  of  God,  according  to  his  will."    Coll.  2:  IG,  17. 


18  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


The  Civil  Law,  given  to  Israel  as  a  theocratic  nation,  i.  e., 
one  ruled  directly  by  God,  became  obsolete  when  the  Theoc- 
racy ceased  to  exist,  although  its  principles  are  still  of  great 
value.  Many  of  them  have  been  incorporated  in  the  laws  of 
the  civilized  world. 

But  the  Moral  Law  is  still  in  force,  and  ever  will  be. 
That  is  because  its  essence  is  something  which  God  will  for- 
ever require  from  his  creatures.  That  essence  is  love,  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law%  Rom.  13:  8-10.  The  Savior  brought  this 
out  in  Matt.  22:37-40.  When  a  Pharisee  lawyer  asked  him, 
"Master,  which  is  the  great  commandment  of  the  law?"  he 
said:  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the 
first  and  the  great  commandment.  And  a  second  like  unto  it 
is  this:  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  On  these 
two  conunandments  hangeth  the  whole  law,  and  the 
prophets." 

In  sofar  as  this  essence  of  the  Law  is  concerned,  the  law 
was  already  written  in  the  heart  of  Adam,  at  his  creation. 
According  to  the  two  objects  of  this  love,  God  and  man,  we 
speak  of  two  Tables  of  the  Moral  Law,  a  figure  taken  from 
the  fact  that  originally  the  Decalogue  was  written  on  two 
tables  or  tablets  of  stone.     Ex.  32:15;  34:1 

There  is  some  difference  in  the  way  the  contents  of  the 
Law  have  been  arranged.  The  Jews  call  verse  2  of  Ex.  20 
the  "First  word"  or  commandment,  and  they  combine  the 
first  and  second  commandments  as  the  "Second  word."  But 
Luther  termed  Ex.  20:2  the  "Preface"  of  the  Law,  and  has 
been  followed  in  this  by  all  Protestants. 

Lutherans  and  Roman  Catholics  combine  the  first  and 
second  commandments  and  divide  the  tenth.  According  to 
the  division  of  the  Reformed  Churches  however,  the  first 
table  contains  four  commandments,  Ex.  20:3-11,  and  the 
second  table  six,  Ex.  20:12-17,  a  division  defended  by  the 
Church  fathers  Origen  (182-251  A.  D.),  Athanasius,  and 
Ambrose,  as  well  as  found  in  the  works  of  Josephus,  and 
adopted  by  the  Greek  Catholics.  We  do  not  believe  in  the 
uniting  of  the  first  and  second  commandments,  because 
there  is  a  marked  difference  between  worshiping  other  gods, 
(idolatry)   as  mentioned  in  the  first  commandment,  and  the 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S  COMFORT  AND  THE  LAW  19 

use  of  images  as  named  in  the  second.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  tenth  commandment  covers  only  the  one  sin  of  covet- 
ousness,  whether  applied  to  a  man's  wife  or  a  man's  prop- 
erty. Paul  gives  coveting  as  one  commandment,  Rom.  7:7; 
13:19. 

This  Moral  Law  now,  as  it  insists  upon  love  to  God  and 
man,  is  to  serve  us  as  a  mirror  and  standard  to  show  us  how 
much  God  requires  of  us,  and  how  much  we  fall  short  of  this 
divine  Rule. 

To  love  God  involves  that  we  esteem  him  supremely  high, 
that  we  desire  his  communion  more  than  anything  else  in 
the  world,  and  that  all  our  life  and  all  our  being  be  entirely 
devoted  to  him.  We  are  to  love  God  thus  with  all  the  heart, 
all  the  soul,  and  all  the  mind,  and  all  our  strength.  Besides 
this  it  requires  loving  God  all  the  time,  from  the  hour  of  our 
birth,  till  the  end  of  our  life,  without  interruption  or  slack- 
ening, in  adversity  as  well  as  in  prosperity. 

Our  neighbor  must  also  share  in  our  love.  We  must  love 
him  "as  ourselves."  Love  to  ourselves  includes  three  things: 
self-esteem,  proper  care  of  one's  interests,  and  proper  de- 
velopment of  our  gifts  and  faculties.  Love  to  the  neighbor 
should  involve  these  three  elements.  Naturally  those  nearest 
to  us  by  ties  of  blood,  religion,  friendship  and  nationality  are 
entitled  to  a  greater  portion  of  this  love  than  those  outside 
of  these  circles.  But  the  Law  requires  that  we  love  all  men 
with  whom  we  come  in  contact,  of  whom  we  know,  and  not 
alone  the  friendly  "neighbor"  but  even  the  enemy,  and  we 
are  to  love  them  all  the  time,  and  in  all  places  and  circum- 
stances. 

Love,  in  short  must  be  the  impelling  and  ruling  force  of 
all  our  motives,  thoughts,  gestures,  words  and  actions,  both 
towards  God  and  towards  man.  So  exceeding  broad  is  God's 
commandment,  Ps.  111):96,  so  deep,  so  searching,  so  all- 
embracing!  It  is  before  this  Law  that  God  places  us,  as  before 
a  perfect  picture,  to  see,  by  way  of  comparison  how  far  we 
fall  short  of  the  divine  requirements.  Tlie  Law  is  as  a  mirror 
to  show  our  vileness  and  deformity,  James  1:23.  If  we  desire 
to  know  how  great  our  sins  and  miseries  are,  let  us  pray 
often:  "Open  Thou  my  eyes,  that  I  may  behold  wondrous 
things  out  of  thy  Law  1"  We  need  the  Holy  Spirit  to  reveal 
this  to  us  1     For,  while  it  is  true,  Rom.  3:20:  "Through  the 


20  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

law  cometh  the  knowledge  of  sin,"  the  Holy  Spirit  alone  can 
so  apply  the  law  to  our  hearts  and  minds  that  we  are  truly 
convicted  in  respect  of  sin  and  righteousness  and  judgment, 
John  16:18.  In  view  of  much  superficiality  in  this  respect 
in  our  days,  let  us  lay  all  stress  on  this  matter.  The  more 
we  realize  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  our  sin,  the  more 
Christ  will  be  appreciated. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  What  is  the  grand  and  primary  purpose  of  the  Christian  Religion  and  of 

all  revelation? 

2  Which  system  of  religion  has  brought  that  out  the  clearest? 

3  What  is  the  secondary  purpose  of  religion? 

4  What  does  the  idea  "comfort"  include? 

5  Why  do  we  need  comfort,  in  general  and  in  particular? 

6  How  many  things  do  we  need  to  know  to  obtain  true  comfort? 

7  Why  is  this  three-fold  division  not  arbitrary? 

8  What  does  "misery"  mean  and  involve? 

9  How  extensive  must  the  knowledge  of  our  misery  be? 

10  Why  should  we  investigate  "whence"  our  misery  is? 

11  What  is  meant  by  the   "Moral"   Law? 

12  What  is  meant  by  the   "Ceremonial"  Law? 

13  What  is  meant  by  the   "Civil"   Law? 
li  What  is  the  essence  of  the  Moral  Law? 

15  Why  do  we  speak  of  two  TABLES  of  the  Law? 

16  Why  do  the  Reformed  hold  that  the  first  Table  contains  four  command- 

ments   (our  duties  toward  God),   and  the  second  the  remaining   six, 
about  our  duties  toward  man? 

17  State  the  all-embracing  features  of  this  love. 

18  What  should  be  our  prayer  that  we  may  see  how  wide  the   command- 

ments are? 


CHAPTER    III. 


SIN  RUINED  US:     GOD  CREATED  US  GOOD. 


Q.   7     Canst  thou  keep  all  these  things  perfectly? 

A.  In  no  wise:    for  I  am  prone  by  nature  to  hate   God  and  my 

neighbor;    and  to  transgress  the   commandments   of   God  in 

thought,  word,  and  deed. 
Q.   8     Hath  God  created  thee  naturally  so  wicked  and  perverse? 
A.  By    no    means:    but    he    created    me    good    and   after   his    own 

image,  in  the  true  knowledge  of  God,  in  righteousness  and 

in  holiness. 

1.  It  is  very  evident,  if  we  get  at  all  acquainted  with  the 
deep  and  broad  meaning  of  the  Law,  and  then  observe  the 
condition  of  our  heart  and  the  imperfections  of  our  life,  that 
we  are  far  from  meeting  its  requirements.  This  has  been  the 
conviction  of  God's  people  of  all  ages.  Job  said  in  his  days 
(9:1-3):  "How  can  men  be  just  with  God?  If  he  be  pleased 
to  contend  with  him  he  cannot  answer  him  one  of  a 
thousand."  Isaiah  confessed:  "But  we  are  all  as  an  unclean 
thing,  and  all  our  righteousnesses  are  as  filthy  rags,"(64:6), 
and  Ecclesiastes  assures  us:  "For  there  is  not  a  just  man  upon 
earth  that  doeth  good  and  sinneth  not,"  (7:20).  Throughout 
the  history  of  the  Church  we  meet  with  similar  testimonies. 
Those  who  lived  nearest  to  God  were  the  most  outspoken  as 
to  their  own  inherent  vileness. 

Because  this  is  so  the  question  of  the  Compendium: 
"Canst  thou  keep  all  these  things  (of  the  Moral  Law)  per- 
fectly?" is  answered  positively  and  strongly:  "In  no  wise,  for 
I  am  prone  by  nature  to  hate  God  and  my  neighbor." 
With  this  statement  Pelagians,  Socinians  and  Unitarians  and 
others  have  found  fault  as  too  harsh  and  untrue  to  fact.  But 
it  does  not  claim  too  much,  alas.  "Prone"  does  not  mean 
that  every  one  of  our  deeds  is  desperately  wicked,  as  if  we 
had  become  devils,  but  that  we  are  inclined,  i.  e.,  leaning  in 
this  direction.  The  statement  of  our  Compendium  signifies 
that  we  have  a  tendency  by  nature  to  hate  Goa  and  our  fellow 
beings,  and  it  is  very  plain  that  such  is  the  case.     The  Bible 


22  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

distinctly  declares  this  to  be  so.  Paul  tells  us:  "For  we  also 
were  aforetime  foolish,  disobedient,  deceived,  serving  diverse 
lusts  and  pleasures,  living  in  malice  and  env> ,  hateful,  hating 
one  another."     (Tit.  3:3). 

The  history  of  the  world  confirms  this.  What  feelings 
nations  harbor  toward  nations,  individuals  toward  individu- 
als, even  those  whom  they  have  never  seen,  is  shown  through- 
out the  world's  history,  from  the  earliest  days  till  the  present. 
The  most  "religious"  nations  are  no  exception.  Some  of  the 
bloodiest  and  crudest  wars  have  been  fought  in  the  name  of 
religion  1 

Daily  life  reveals  this  proneness  to  hate  God  and  men. 
Children  at  times  show  it  in  their  pla;^  and  quarrels.  Adults 
manifest  it  in  social  and  business  life,  even  in  church  life  at 
times  ! 

Especially  the  life  of  the  heathen,  with  but  a  small 
measure  of  God's  restraining  grace  operating  among  them, 
reveals  our  natural  depravity  in  blood  feuds,  torture,  yea 
cannibalism,  and  all  sorts  of  uncleanness,  proving  very 
plainly:  "the  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things,  and  desper- 
ately wicked:  who  can  know  it?"     (Jer.   17:9). 

All  children  of  men,  instead  of  keeping  the  Law  as  they 
should  are  sinning  daily  in  thoughts,  words  and  deeds. 

Our  thoughts,  how  often  are  they  vile,  wicked,  abom- 
inable, and  we  are  at  times  glad  that  people  do  not  know  what 
is  in  our  mind  ! 

Our  words  are  sometimes  uncharitable,  perhaps  cutting, 
maybe  vile,  and  profane. 

Our  deeds  also  cannot  pass  muster,  as  what  we  men- 
tioned above  shows.  Indeed,  the  most  "moral"  among  us 
has  abundant  reasons  to  say  as  .lob:  "Behold,  I  am  vile;  what 
shall  I  answer  thee?  I  will  lay  mine  hand  upon  my  mouth." 
(40:4). 

2.  Now,  what  is  the  cause  of  this  depravity?  "Hath  God 
created  thee  naturally  so  wicked  and  perverse?"  the  Compen- 
dium asks.  And  the  reply  is:  "In  no  wise  !"  Sin  cannot 
be  from  God.  That  would  be  contrary  to  his  very  essence. 
"Far  be  it  from  God  that  he  should  do  wickedness."  Job 
34:10). 

Some  heathen  people  have  claimed  this,  especially  the 


SIN  RUINED  US:     GOD  CREATED  US  GOOD  23 


Parsees,  (Chapter  I).  Pantheism  involves  this  in  its  teach- 
ing that  "all  is  God." 

Evolutionism,  in  sofar  as  it  acknowledges  that  God  h^d 
anything  to  do  with  our  creation,  implies  this,  since  sin  is 
called  the  remnant  of  our  original  animal  nature. 

But  the  Compendium  denies  this.  "God  created  me  good, 
and  after  his  own  image,"  it  states.  That  is  Biblical.  "Behold, 
this  only  have  I  found,  that  God  made  man  upright,"  Eccle- 
siastes  assures  us,  (7:29). 

That  God  made  us  "good"  signifies  that  we  were  made 
without  imperfection,  and  able  to  reach  the  end  of  our  crea- 
tion, viz.,  to  glorify  God. 

That  we  were  made  in  "God's  image,"  means  that  we 
were  true  pictures  of  God  in  his  perfections,  in  sofar  as  finite 
beings  could  be  such. 

Man  was  God's  image,  the  Reformed  believe,  and  not 
simply  its  possessor,  as  Rome  teaches.  It  was  part  of  our 
being  or  essence,  and  not  simply  a  halo  of  divine  justice  or 
holiness  as  some  have  taught.  Neither  was  it  simply  ability 
and  tendency  of  goodness,  as  others  claimed. 

This  image  consisted  originally  in  three  elements:  true 
knowledge  of  God,  righteousness,   and  holiness. 

This  is  inferred  from  Coll.  3:10  where  Paul  speaks  of 
"being  renewed  unto  knowledge  after  the  image  of  him  who 
created  him,"  and  from  Eph.  4:24:  "And  put  on  the  new  man, 
that  after  God  hath  been  created  in  righteousness  and  holi- 
ness." 

3.  We  distinguish  between  the  image  of  God  in  a  wider 
and  in  a  narrower  sense. 

(a)  In  a  wider  sense  God's  image  involves  our  soul,  as 
being  spiritual  and  immaterial  as  God  is,  who  is  a  pure 
Spirit,  and  the  faculties  of  our  soul,  our  mind,  affections, 
and  will.     (Chapter   XI) 

The  dominion  over  animals  was  likewise  a  part  of  this 
image.  Gen.  1 :26.  While  some  have  considered  this  as  one  of 
the  effects  of  common  grace,  (Chapter  XV), we  may  well 
enumerate  it  as  belonging  to  God's  image  since  it  stamped  man 
as  king  of  the  earthly  creation,  a  reflection  of  him  who  is  the 
Sovereign  of  all  the  Universe.  In  this  respect  we  differ  from 
the  angels,  who  are  "ministering"  spirits. 


24  .    THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

(b)  The  Compendium  dwells  exclusively  on  God's  image 
in  the  narrow  sense.  The  true  knowledge  which  belonged  to 
it  means  that  the  mind  of  man  originally  was  a  brightly  burn- 
ing lamp.  Adam  knew  God,  he  knew  himself,  and  he  knew 
the  world.  This  knowledge  was  not  superficial,  but  thor- 
ough. Adam  knew  the  essence  of  things,  and  not  merely,  as 
in  our  case  at  present,  their  appearance.  Therefore  he  could 
name  the  animals  with  a  name  appropriate  to  their  nature. 
Gen.  2:20. 

Righteousness  means:  right  with  God,  in  perfect  har- 
mony with  his  justice. 

Holiness  signifies  three  things:  separation  from  sin,  de- 
votion to  God,  and  being  "whole,"  i.e.  sound  and  pure. 
(Chapter  XXV).  That  man  originally  occupied  such  a  high 
station,  we  hold  over  against  Evolutionists  who  claim  that 
we  are  of  brute  origin.  (Compare  Chapter  XI).  A  study 
of  the  races  and  their  history  confirms  our  belief  in  man's 
condition  as  an  excellent  being,  even  as  the  traditions  of 
savage  tribes  all  claim  that  they  descended  from  people  who 
were  higher  in  the  scale  of  civilization.  The  dwarfs  whom 
Stanley  met  in  the  heart  of  Africa  show  by  their  language 
that  they  are  degenerates.  All  skulls  of  human  beings  found 
in  ancient  caves  are  equal  in  brain  capacity  to  the  average 
skull  of  the  white  people  of  today.  All  tne  ancient  races 
show  that  already  many  centuries  ago  there  was  a  very  high 
state  of  civilization,  as  the  ruins  of  Egypt  and  Babylon  testify. 
Furthermore,  all  of  these  old  races  placed  a  "golden  age" 
in  the  remote  past.  That  we  are  depraved  at  present  is  not  to 
be  laid  at  the  door  of  the  Creator  therefore.  We  ought 
much  rather  to  prase  him  that  he  created  our  race  in  such 
an  excellent  condition,  adorned  with  so  many  great  gifts. 
They  were  sovereignly  bestowed,  let  us  ever  bear  that  in 
mind  I 

4.  Let  us,  however,  humble  ourselves  before  God  that  we 
are  depraved  at  present  !  For  such  we  are,  alas  !  Sin  has 
ruined  us,  so  that  we  lost  God's  image  in  the  narrow  sense. 
And  a  fearful  ruin  has  been  wrought  in  our  case  ! 

Sin  separated  us  from  God,  as  Isaiah  proclaimed:  "Your 
iniquities  have  separated  between  you  and  God  !" 

Our  understanding  has  becomed  darkened  through  sin, 
Eph.  4:18. 


SIN  RUINED  US:     GOD  CREATED  US  GOOD  25 

Our  heart  became  desperately  wicked,  Jer.  17:9,  and 
its  very  imaginations  evil  from  our  youth,  Gen.  8:21.  The 
Bible  tells  us  we  have  become  "disobedient,  serving  diverse 
lusts  and  pleasures,"  Titus  3:3,  yea  we  have  become  "slaves 
of  sin,"  Rom.  6:17,  (R.  V..)  under  control  of  the  devil,  Eph. 
2:2,  children  of  wrath,  Eph.  2:3,  while  the  "mind  of  the 
flesh"  is  enmity  against  God,  Rom.  8:7-8. 

Eph.  2:1  calls  us  "dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,"  which 
involves  not  merely  separation  from  God,  already  mentioned, 
but  also  being  unclean,  impotent,  corrupt  and  corrupting  as 
a  dead  body. 

We  are  not  alone  subject  to  unhappiness  and  at  times 
anguish,  under  the  sentence  of  God's  condemnation,  John 
3:36,  exposed  to  all  manner  of  temporal  and  external  punish- 
ment, but  so  disabled  that  we  cannot  change  ourselves  for 
good,  in  the  biblical  sense,  as  little  as  the  Ethiopian  can 
change  his  skin,  and  the  leopard  his  spots,  Jer.  13:23.  (Com- 
pare Chapter  V  on  punishment  and  total  depravity.) 

True,  we  have  not  lost  God's  image  in  the  wide  sense, 
but  even  in  this  respect  the  image  has  become  marred,  and 
the  vestiges  of  our  former  grandeur  do  not  enable  us  to 
serve  God  aright. 

Canons  III.,  IV.  of  Dordrecht,  Articles  4  and  5  state: 

"There  remain,  however,  in  man  since  the  fall,  the  glim- 
merings of  natural  light,  whereby  he  retains  some  knowledge 
of  God,  of  natural  things,  and  of  the  difference  between  good 
and  evil,  and  discovers  some  regard  for  virtue,  good  order  in 
society,  and  for  maintaining  an  orderly  external  deportment. 
But  so  far  as  his  light  of  nature  from  being  sufficient  to  bring 
him  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  God,  and  to  true  conversion, 
that  he  is  incapable  of  using  it  aright  even  in  things  natural 
and  civil.  Nay  further,  this  light,  such  as  it  is,  man  in  various 
ways  renders  wholly  polluted,  and  holds  it  in  unrighteous- 
ness, by  doing  which  he  becomes  inexcusable  before  God.  In 
the  same  light  are  we  to  consider  the  law  of  the  decalogue, 
delivered  by  God  to  his  peculiar  people  the  Jews,  by  the  hand 
of  Moses.  For  though  it  discovers  the  greatness  of  sin,  and 
more  and  more  convinces  man  thereof,  yet  as  it  neither  points 
out  a  remedy  nor  imparts  strength  to  extricate  him  from 
misery,  and  thus  being  weak  through  the  flesh,  leaves  the 
transgressor  under  the  curse;  [thus]  man  cannot  by  this  law 
obtain  saving  grace." 

God  grant  us  to  see  and  deplore  our  misery  in  true 
humiliation.     Do  we? 


26  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

"O  Lord,  my  soul  convicted  stands 
Of  breaking  all  thy  ten  commands: 
And  on  me  justly  might'st  thou  pour 
Thy  wrath  in  one  eternal  shower. 

To  all  that's  good,  averse,  and  blind, 
But  prone  to  all  that's  ill; 
What  dreadful  darkness  veils  my  mind! 
How  obstinate  my  will! 

Vain  are  the  hopes  the  sons  of  men 
On  their  own  works  have  built: 
Our  hearts  by  nature  are  unclean, 
And  all  our  actions  guilt. 

Our  beauty  and  our  strength  are  fled. 
And  we  draw  near  to  death; 
O  Lord  of  grace,  recall  the  dead, 
"With  thine  almighty  breath!" 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Can  you  prove   from  the  Bible  that  we   fall  far   short   of  the  require- 

ments of  God's  Moral  Law? 

2  How  does  the  history  of  the  world  show  the  corruptness  of  men? 

5  What  does  daily  life  show  of  our  proneness  to  hate  God  and  man? 

4     Can  you  mention  happenings  among  the  heathen  to  prove  our  corrupt 
condition? 

6  In  which  ways  are  we  sinning  daily? 

6  Who  claim  that  our  depraved  condition  should  be  charged  to  the  Creator? 

7  What  does  it  mean  that  God  created  us  good  and  in  or  after  his  image? 

8  Which  are  the  three  elements  of  God's  image  in  the  narrow  sense? 

9  What  is  God's  image  in  the  wider  sense? 

10  Mention  in  detail  the  ruin  sin  wrought  in  us. 

11  Prove  from  the  Bible  our  total  depravity. 

12  What  is  left  in  us  of  God's  image  in  the  wider  sense? 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE  CAUSE  OF  OUR  RUIN:  THE  FALL.    THE  COVENANT 
OF    WORKS. 


Q. 

A. 

9 

Q. 
A. 

10 

Q. 

A. 

11 

Whence  then  proceeds  that  depravity  which  Is  in  thee? 

From  the  fall  and  disobedience  of  Adam  and  Eve  in  Para- 
dise; hence  oar  nature  is  become  so  corrupt,  that  we  are 
all  conceived  and  born  in  sin. 

What  was  that  disobedience? 

That  they  did  eat  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree,  which  God  had  for- 
bidden them. 

Does  the  disobedience  of  Adam  concern  us? 

Certainly:  for  he  is  the  father  of  us  all;  and  we  have  all 
sinned  in  him. 

After  stating  that  the  cause  of  our  depravity  does  not 
lie  in  our  creation,  since  God  created  our  race  good  and  in 
his  image,  the  Compendium  takes  up  the  discussion  of  the 
true  origin  of  our  wicked  condition.  Let  us  notice:  1)  the  fall; 
2)  its  results  for  Adam;  3)  for  us;  4)  the  Covenant  of  Works; 
and  5)  how  sin  is  imputed  to  us. 

1.  The  depravity  in  us  proceeds  "from  the  fall  and  dis- 
obedience of  Adam  and  Eve  in  Paradise." 

Paradise  is  the  name  given  to  a  beautiful  garden  in  that 
part  of  Asia  which  is  at  present  called  Armenia,  or  Persia. 
It  was  richly  watered  by  four  rivers,  no  doubt  with  a  very 
beautiful  vegetation,  and  a  delightful  climate,  while  the  crea- 
ture-world in  it  was  tame  and  everything  reflecting  the 
glory  of  God.  Among  the  trees  of  Paradise,  two  are 
singled  out  in  the  sacred  narrative  of  Genesis,  the  tree  of 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  and  the  tree  of  life.  The  word 
"Paradise"  is  derived  from  a  Greek  word  meaning  a  park.  In 
Is.  51:3  Paradise  is  called  "the  garden  of  Jehovah,"  and 
"Eden,"  which  last  mentioned  word  signifies  "delight."  In 
that  beautiful  garden  the  Lord  placed  the  first  human  pair, 
Adam  and  Eve,  and  there  they  lived  for  a  season,  happy,  pure 
and  blissful,  in  undisturbed  communion  with  their  maker, 
cultivating  the  garden,  and  glorifying  God,  the  end  of  their 
creation.  We  do  not  know  how  long  the  "state  of  innocency" 
continued,  but  this  we  know,  in  Paradise  the  Fall  of  man 


28  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

took  place.    The  Confession  of  Faith  contains  the  following 
about  this  ruinous  event,  Art.  XIV: 

"We  believe  that  God  created  man  out  of  the  dust  of  the 
earth,  and  made  and  formed  him  after  his  own  image  and 
likeness,  good,  righteous,  and  holy,  capable  in  all  things  to 
will,  agreeably  to  the  will  of  God.  But  being  in  honor,  he 
understood  it  not,  neither  knew  his  excellency,  but  wilfully 
subjected  himself  to  sin,  and  consequently  to  death,  and  the 
curse,  giving  ear  to  the  words  of  the  devil.  For  the  com- 
mandment of  life,  which  he  had  received,  he  transgressed; 
and  by  sin  separated  himself  from  God,  who  was  his  true 
life,  having  corrupted  his  whole  nature;  whereby  he  made 
himself  liable  to  corporal  and  spiritual  death.  And  being  thus 
become  wicked,  perverse  and  corrupt  in  all  his  ways,  he  hath 
lost  all  his  excellent  gifts,  which  he  had  received  from  God, 
and  only  retained  a  few  remains  thereof,  which,  however, 
are  sufficient  to  leave  man  without  excuse;  for  all  the  light 
which  is  in  us  changed  into  darkness,  as  the  Scriptures  teach 
us,  saying:  "The  light  shineth  in  darkness,  and  the  darkness 
comprehendeth  it  not:  where  St.  John  calleth  men  darkness. 
Therefore  we  reject  all  that  is  taught  repugnant  to  this,  con- 
cerning the  free  will  of  man,  since  man  is  but  a  slave  to  sin; 
and  has  nothing  of  himself,  unless  it  is  given  him  from  heaven. 
For  who  may  presume  to  boast,  that  he  of  himself  can  do  any 
good,  since  Christ  saith.  No  man  can  come  to  me,  except  the 
Father,  which  hath  sent  me,  draw  him?  WTio  will  glory  in 
his  own  will,  who  understands,  that  to  be  carnally  minded 
is  enmity  against  God?  Who  can  speak  of  his  knowledge, 
since  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  spirit  of 
God?  In  short,  who  dare  suggest  any  thought,  since  he  knows 
that  we  are  not  sufficient  of  ourselves  to  think  anything  as 
of  ourselves,  but  that  our  sufficiency  is  of  God?  And  there- 
fore what  the  apostle  saith  ought  justly  to  be  held  sure  and 
firm,  that  God  worketh  in  us  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his 
good  pleasure.  For  there  is  no  will  nor  understanding,  con- 
formable to  the  divine  will  and  understanding,  but  what 
Christ  hath  wrought  in  man:  which  he  teaches  us,  when  he 
saith.  Without  me  ye  can  do  nothing." 

The  tragedy  of  Paradise  has  been  called  the  "great  riddle 
of  human  history."  The  question  "whence  is  sin?"  has  occu- 
pied the  thoughts  of  the  greatest  philosophers.  Many  at- 
tempts have  been  made  to  solve  the  problem  of  the  origin  of 
sin.  The  Gnostics,  a  heretical  sect  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Church,  said  sin  was  the  result  of  the  existence  of  matter. 
Spinoza,  a  Dutch  Jew,  taught  that  sin  was  simply  a  result  of 
our  flniteness.  Evolution  denies  the  Fall  altogether.  Our 
race  is  constantly  climbing  !     "Christian  Science"  so-called. 


THE  CAUSE  OF  OUR  RUIN  :     THE  FALL  29 

claims:  because  soul  is  immortal,  soul  cannot  sin.  "Evil  is 
not;  sin,  sickness,  death,  are  unreal.  Matter  and  the  mortal 
body  are  nothing  but  a  belief  and  illusion."  It  even  claims: 
"a  lie  is  all  the  Satan  there  is."  "New  Thought,"  or  "Theos- 
ophy"  asserts:  "There  are  no  sins.  What  seems  so  are  the 
lessons  given  us  to  master.  Vice  is  but  virtue  in  the  making." 
But  the  Bible  narrative  is  plain,  and  no  better  answer  to  the 
question  about  the  origin  of  our  depravity  has  yet  been  found 
than  the  one  of  the  Compendium:  "the  fall  and  disobedience  of 
Adam  and  Eve  in  Paradise." 

The  Bible  does  not  give  many  details  of 

"Man's  first  disobedience  and  the  fruit 
Of  that  forbidden  tree,  whose  mortal  taste 
Brought  death  into  the  world,  and  all  our  woe. 
With  loss  of  Eden." 

But  the  following  may  be  said  about  it. 

(a)  The  possibility  of  the  Fall  was  involved  in  man  being 
created  as  a  finite  and  changeable  being. 

(b)  The  instrumental  cause  was  the  probationary  or  trial 
command  not  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  knowledge  of  good  and  evil. 
This  "forbidden  tree,"  as  it  is  often  called,  stood  in  Paradise 
as  an  expression  of  God's  revealed  will.  God  sovereignly 
chose  that  tree  to  bring  out  whether  or  not  Adam  and  Eve 
would  be  loyal  to  God,  and  obedient  to  his  will,  even  though 
they  did  not  fully  understand  its  purpose.  They  should  have 
left  the  tree  alone,  subjecting  themselves  to  the  command  and 
arrangement  of  their  Sovereign,  believing  it  to  be  for  their 
good.  Instead  of  that  they,  as  it  were,  usurped  the  sovereignty 
of  God  by  saying  practically:  "It  is  good  to  eat  of  that  tree, 
although  God  sad  it  is  evil."  An  attempt  to  dethrone  God  as 
Sovereign  was  the  sin  of  our  first  parents  in  its  essence,  even 
as  rebellion  against  God,  for  such  it  was  in  reality,  still  lies  at 
the  root  of  all  sin. 

(c)  The  moving  cause  of  the  Fall  was  the  temptation  of 
the  Devil,  Satan,  the  head  of  the  fallen  angels,  who,  before 
the  fall  of  the  human  race,  had  already  rebelled  against  his 
Sovereign,  most  likely  through  pride,  1  Tim.  3:6.  (Chapter  XI, 
on  Creation.)  Using  a  serpent  as  an  instrument  the  Devil 
entered  into  conversation  with  Eve.  "First  the  probationary 
command  was  represented  as  a  burden  imposed  arbitrarily, 
and  needlessly  limiting  man's  liberty,  and  in   that  manner 


30  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

there  was  sown  in  Eve's  soul  the  seed  of  doubt  concerning  the 
divine  origin  and  the  justice  of  the  command.  Next  this 
doubt  is  made  to  develop  into  unbelief  by  means  of 
the  suggestion  that  God  gave  the  command  solely  because 
he  feared  that  men  would  become  like  him,  knowing  good 
and  evil  as  he  does.  Then  this  unbelief  in  its  turn  acts  on 
the  imagination,  and  represents  the  transgression  of  the 
command  as  a  way  not  leading  to  death,  but  to  true 
life  and  equality  with  God.  The  imagination  influenc- 
es the  tendency  and  impulse  in  man,  so  that  the  forbidden 
tree  is  viewed  in  a  different  light  and  becomes  a  delight  to 
the  eye,  and  desirable  to  the  heart.  This  finally  acts  on  the 
will  and  produces  the  sinful  deed;  Eve  took  of  the  fruit  and 
ate,  and  she  also  gave  to  her  husband  and  he  ate.  Gen.  3:1-6. 
In  this  simple  but  deeply  psychological  manner  the  Bible 
relates  the  history  of  the  Fall  and  the  origin  of  sin.  In  this 
way  sin  always  originates.  It  begins  with  darkening  the 
mind,  continues  in  exciting  the  imagination,  arouses  desire 
in  the  heart,  and  ends  in  an  act  of  the  will.  But  Holy  Writ 
does  not  attempt  to  explain  sin  i.e.  to  deduce  it  from  existing 
factors.  In  the  changeable  state  wherein  man  was  created, 
and  in  the  probationary  command  which  God  gave,  the 
possibility  of  sin  was  involved;  but  the  change  from  possi- 
bility to  reality  is  wrapt  in  darkness  and  hidden  from  us. 
Sin  is  existing,  but  it  might  not  and  may  not  exist;  it  is  and 
remains  forever  contrary  both  to  God's  law  and  to  the  testi- 
mony of  our  conscience."  (Bavinck). 

2.  The  results  of  this  transgression  were  very  disas- 
trous for  Adam  and  Eve.  Instead  of  dethroning  God  they 
dethroned  themselves. 

They  lost  God's  image,  in  the  narrow  sense,  as  well  as 
their  happiness  and  peace  of  mind.  They  became  guilty 
before  God,  and  depraved  within. 

They  became  subject  to  death  in  all  its  wide  meaning. 

Spiritual  death  took  hold  of  them,  i.e.  separation  from 
God  as  the  source  of  their  spir^itual  life.  Eph.  2:1;  1  Tim. 
5:6,  and  6:19. 

Bodily  or  corporal  death  affected  them  in  time:  separa- 
tion of  body  and  soul.    Gen.  5:  5. 

And  they  became  exposed  to  eternal  death:  separation 


THE  CAUSE  OF  OUR  RUIN  :     THE  FALL  31 

from  every  blessing  of  God  forever,  called  the  second  death 
in  Rev.  21:8. 

Adam  and  Eve  were  also  driven  out  of  Paradise  and  away 
from  the  tree  of  life,  while  the  ground  was  cursed  for  their 
sake,  to  produce  thorns  and  thistles.  Labor  was  imposed 
on  Adam  as  a  burden,  instead  of  a  delight:  eating  bread  in 
the  sweat  of  the  brow;  and  womankind,  "because  Adam  was 
not  deceived  but  the  woman,"  1  Tim.  2:14,  had  the  sentence 
pronounced  upon  it  recorded  in  Gen.  3:16.  Truly,  we  have 
reason  to  lament: 

"Now  back  with  humble  shame  we  look 
On  our  original; 
How  is  our  nature  dashed,  and  broke 
In  our  first  father's  Fall!" 

3.  What  was  still  worse,  Adam's  fall  involved  not  alone 
the  original  human  pair  but  also  all  of  its  posterity.  "In 
Adam's  Fall,  we  sinned  all,"  the  old  verse  says.  And  the 
Compendium,  in  answer  to  its  inquiry,  (Q.  11),  "Does  the 
disobedience  of  Adam  concern  us?",  states:  Certainly;  for 
he  is  the  father  of  us  all;  and  we  have  all  sinned  in  him." 

That  Adam  was  our  natural  head,  our  "father,"  is  plain 
from  various  Bible  statements.  "God  made  of  one  blood  all 
nations."  Acts  17:26. 

Science  confirms  this  constantly.  Whenever  and  wher- 
ever men  have  been  found,  their  body  has  not  alone  the  same 
bony  structure  in  a  general  way,  but  exactly  the  same  number 
of  bones  as  well.  The  nature  of  the  soul  and  the  capacity 
of  the  mind  is  the  same  in  the  same  surroundings.  The  one, 
common  origin  of  language  is  also  proven  more  and  more 
by  comparative  study. 

It  was  but  natural  therefore  that  the  offspring  of  the 
original  pair  should  be  corrupt.  "Like  begets  like"  is  a  uni- 
versal law.  "Who  can  bring  a  clean  thing  out  of  an  un- 
clean?    Not   one."     (Job   14:4). 

"That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh,"  John  3:6;  Ps. 
51:5. 

Agreeably  with  this  Canon  III  states  in  Art  2,  3: 

"Man  after  the  fall  begat  children  in  his  own  likeness. 
A  corrupt  stock  produced  a  corrupt  offspring.  Hence  all  the 
posterity  of  Adam,  Christ  only  excepted,  have  derived  corrup- 
tion from  their  original  parent,  not  by  imitation,  as  the  Pela- 


32  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

gians  of  old  asserted,  but  by  the  propagation   of  a  vicious 
nature. 

"Therefore  all  men  are  conceived  in  sin,  and  by  nature 
children  of  wrath,  incapable  of  saving  good,  prone  to  evil, 
dead  in  sin,  and  in  bondage  thereto;  and  without  the  regen- 
erating grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  they  are  neither  able  nor 
willing  to  return  to  God,  to  reform  the  depravity  of  their 
nature,  nor  to  dispose  of  themselves  to  reformation." 

4.  Adam  however  was  more  than  our  natural  head. 
His  being  the  father  of  the  human  race  may  explain  our 
depravity,  our  sinful  nature,  since  a  corrupt  tree  cannot  bear 
good  fruit,  but  according  to  the  Bible  we  are  guilty  as  well 
as  depraved,  guilty  before  God,  as  children  of  wrath,  with 
his  wrath  abiding  on  us,  unless  we  come  to  accept  Christ,  as 
shown  by  Rom.  3:19,  Eph.  2:3,  John  3:36. 

How  did  we  become  thus  guilty  before  God?  And  the 
reply  is:  because  Adam  was  our  federal  head,  as  well  as  our 
natural  head,  so  that  in  that  sense,  and  because  of  that,  as  the 
Compendium  state:  "we  all  sinned  in  him."  Adam  was  our 
representative  in  a  covenant  which  is  usually  called  the  cov- 
enant of  works,  although  others  named  it  "covenant  of  life." 
Rom.  7:10,  or  after  the  place  where  it  was  made:  the  "Edenic 
covenant."  > 

"The  distance  between  God  and  his  creature  is  so  great," 
says  the  Westminster  Confession,  (Ch.  VII,  1),  "that  although 
reasonable  creatures  do  owe  obedience  to  him  as  their  Cre- 
ator, yet  they  could  never  have  any  fruition  of  him  as  their 
blessedness  and  reward  but  by  some  voluntary  condescen- 
sion on  God's  part,  which  he  hath  been  pleased  to  express  by 
way  of  covenant." 

The  first  covenant  made  with  man  contained  three  ele- 
ments: a  condition,  a  promise,  and  a  penalty.  The  condition 
was  perfect  obedience  to  God.  The  promise:  eternal  life  for 
Adam  and  his  posterity.     The  penalty:     death. 

That  such  a  covenant  existed  is  very  evident.  Hos.  6:7: 
"But  they  like  Adam  have  transgressed  the  covenant." 

The  account  given  in  Genesis  possesses  all  the  elements  of 
a  covenant. 

(a)  Two  parties  are  mentioned:  God  and  man. 

(b)  A  promise  on  the  part  of  God  is  implied  in  the 
threat:  "thou  shalt  die,"  Gen.  2:17.  Compare  Rom.  7:10;  8:3;. 
10:5;  Matt.  19:16,  17. 


THE  CAUSE  OF  OUR  RUIN  :     OUR  FALL  33 

(c)  There  is  mutual  agreement,  such  as  usually  belongs 
to  covenants  from  God's  side  expressed  in  his  command  and 
promise,  and  implied  on  the  part  of  man  in  the  fact  of  his 
perfect  agreement  with  the  will  of  God,  as  a  perfect  being, 
as  well  as  in  the  reply  of  Eve  to  the  serpent,  and  in  Adam's 
apology  to  God  for  his  sin. 

(d)  Various  Bible  statements  express  or  at  least  infer 
Adam's  representative  character,  since  we  are  said  to  have 
"sinned  in  him,"  (Rom.  5:12,  margin),  and  being  "made"  or 
constituted  "sinners"  b>'  his  disobedience,  Rom.  5:1!).  All 
"died"  in  him,  1  Cor.  15:22.  Paul  assures  us:  "by  the  offense 
of  one  judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  condemnation,"  Rom. 
5:17.  Such  likewise  appears  from  the  representative  charac- 
ter of  Christ,  John  6:37,  Isa.  53:10,  11,  and  elsewhere,  taken  in 
connection  with  the  fact  that  Adam  is  called  his  "figure"  or 
type,  Rom.  5:14.  "For  if  through  the  offense  of  one  many  be 
dead,  much  more  the  grace  of  God,  and  the  gift  of  grace  which 
is  by  one  man,  Jesus  Christ,"  Rom.  5:15. 

(e)  Last  but  not  least,  we  find  the  proof  that  Adam 
represented  his  posterity  in  the  moral  character  and  con- 
dition of  infants,  it  being  impossible  to  account  for  their 
subjection  to  the  Law  and  its  curse  except  by  a  reference  to 
"the  offense  of  one,"  by  which  judgment  came  upon  all  men, 
to  condemnation,  including  children,  Rom  5:14;  1  Cor.  7:14; 
Eph.  2:3. 

5.  This  sin  of  Adam  is  imputed  to  us  all.  Some  of  the 
texts  mentioned  above  bring  that  out  clearly.  It  is  as  a  result 
of  this  that  we  enter  this  world  deprived  of  the  image  of  God 
in   the  narrow  sense,  and  subject   to  all  manner  of  misery. 

Consequently  we  do  not  sin  by  "imitation,"  as  the  Pela- 
gians claim.  Nor  are  we  connected  with  Adam's  sin  only  by  a 
principle  of  "social  liability,"  according  to  which  sin  was 
only  the  natural  ground  of  our  corruption,  and  not  the 
judicial  ground,  so  that  we  have  no  more  to  do  with  the  first 
sin  of  Adam  than  with  the  sin  of  any  others  of  our  ances- 
tors. Such  views  are  unscriptural  and  dangerous.  If  we 
do  not  entertain  clear  conceptions  of  our  fall  in  Adam,  we  are 
apt  to  form  wrong  ideas  of  our  restoration  in  Christ,  the  last 
Adam.  Our  fathers  used  to  say:  "unsound  views  of  Paradise 
produce  unsound  views   of   Calvary."     The  doctrine  of  the 


34  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

covenant  of  works  is  the  best  explanation  of  the  Bible  teach- 
ing of  our  guilt  before  God  by  nature.  Even  the  evolutionist 
Huxley  was  led  to  say:    "the  doctrines  of  original  sin,  of  the 

innate  depravity  of  man,  and  the  evil  of  our  race appear 

to  me  vastly  nearer  to  the  truth  than  the  "liberal"  popular 
illusions  that  babes  are  all  born  good,  and  that  the  example 
of  a  corrupt  society  is  responsible  for  their  failure  to  remain 
so." 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Wliere  was  Paradise,  the  scene  of  the  Fall  of  man? 

2  Can  you  mention  some  attempts  made  to  explain  the  origin  of  sin? 

3  Wherein  did  the  possibility  of  man's  Fall  lie? 

4  What  can  you  say  about  the  probationary  command  as  the  instrumental 

cause  of  the  Fall? 

5  What  constituted  the  moving  cause  of  the  Fall? 

6  Can  you  describe  how  the  process  of  sin  worked  in  the  mind  and  heart 

of  Eve? 

7  What  were  the  results  of  Adam's  sin  for  himself  and  for  Eve? 

8  What  can  you  tell  about  the  three  kinds  of  death  we  speak  of? 

9  Can  you  prove  in  different  ways  that  Adam  was  our  "natural"   head? 

10  How   does  the   fact   of   Adam   being   our   natural   head   explain    cur    de- 

pravity, that  is,  our  corrupt  condition  by  nature? 

11  Was  Adam  more  than  our  natural  head  and  father? 

12  What  do  we  mean  by  calling  Adam  our  "federal"  head? 

13  Which  are  the  elements  of  the  covenant  of  works? 

11     Prove  that  there  actually  was  a  "covenant  of  works." 

15  What  did  this  covenant  relation  in  Adam  render  us  before  God? 

16  How  is  Adam's  sin  charged  to  us? 


CHAPTER    V. 


THE    RESULTS    OF    THE    FALL:    ORIGINAL    SIN,    TOTAL 
DEPRAVITY,    AND    PUNISHMENT. 


Q.  12  Are  we  then  incapable  of  doing  any  good  of  ourselves,  and 
prone  to  all  manner  of  wickedness? 

A.  Indeed  we  are:    unless  we  are  regenerated  by  tie   Spirit  of 

God. 

Q.  13  Will  God  suffer  such  disobedience  and  corruption  to  go  un- 
punished? 

A.  By  no  means:    but  in  his  just  judgment  will  punish  them, 

both  in  time  and  eternity,  as  it  is  written:  "cursed  is 
every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things,  which  are  writ- 
ten in  the  book  of  the  law,  to  do  them." 

The  previous  chapter  explained  why  Adam's  Fall  affected 
us  and  the  whole  human  race.  It  was  because  the  first  man 
was  not  alone  our  natural  head,  our  father,  but,  especially,  our 
federal  head,  our  representative  in  the  covenant  of  works. 
In  this  chapter  we  are  to  discuss  the  results  of  the  Fall,  for  us 
and  in  us.  These  results  are,  viz.  that  we  are  born  in  original 
sin,  totally  depraved,  and  subject  to  the  punishment  of  sin. 
In  this  chapter  we  shall  discuss:  1,  Sin,  original  and  actual; 
2,  total  depravity;  3,  the  punishment  of  sin. 

I 

1.  The  term  original  sin  includes  two  things:  our  original 
guilt  and  our  original  pollution. 

Our  original  guilt  is  imputed  to  us.  Rom.  5:19:  "through 
the  one  man's  disobedience  the  many  are  made  sinners." 
"Made"  sinners,  here  means  constituted,  accounted  as  such. 
As  a  whole  nation  suffers  when  its  head  loses  in  war,  so  God 
imputes  to  us,  as  the  posterity  of  Adam,  the  sin  of  him  as  our 
representative.  In  the  same  manner  the  Lord  imputes  to  those 
in  Christ,  the  righteousness  he  as  our  representative  merited 
for  us. 

Now,  because  God  as  righteous  imputes  to  us  the  guilt  of 
Adam,  he  at  our  creation  deprives  us  of  his  image,  in  the 


36  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


narrow  sense,  and  the  result  is  that  we  enter  the  world  pol- 
luted, i.  e.  with  a  corrupt  nature,  and  incapable  of  doing 
spiritual  good.  This  original  pollution,  which  we  inherit,  is 
referred  to  in  John  3: 16:  "What  is  born  of  the  flesh,  is  flesh," 
i.e.  corrupt.    In  Art.  XV  of  our  Confession  it  is  stated: 

"We  believe  that,  through  the  disobedience  of  Adam,  orig- 
inal sin  is  extended  to  all  mankind;  which  is  a  corruption  of 
the  whole  nature,  and  an  heriditary  disease,  wherewith  in- 
fants themselves  are  infected  even  in  their  mother's  womb, 
and  which  produceth  in  man  all  sorts  of  sin,  being  in  him  as  a 
root  thereof;  and  therefore  is  so  vile  and  abominable  in  the 
sight  of  God,  that  it  is  suflicient  to  condemn  all  mankind.  Nor 
is  it  by  any  means  abolished  or  done  away  by  baptism;  since 
sin  always  issues  forth  from  this  woeful  source,  as  water  from 
a  fountain;  notwithstanding  it  is  not  imputed  to  the  children 
of  God  unto  condemnation,  IduI  by  his  grace  and  mercy  is  for- 
given them.  Not  that  they  should  rest  securely  in  sin,  but 
that  a  sense  of  this  corruption  should  make  believers  often  to 
sigh,  desiring  to  be  delivered  from  this  body  of  death.  Wliere- 
fore  we  reject  the  error  of  the  Pelagians,  who  assert  that  sin 
proceeds  only  from  imitation." 

2.  From  this  "root"  or  "fountain"  of  our  original  pol- 
lution proceed  our  actual  sins.  These  may  be  divided  in  sins 
of  omission  and  of  commission.  Sins  of  omission  we  are 
guilty  of  in  all  cases  wherein  we  fail  to  serve  and  glorify 
God,  and  help  our  neighbor  as  we  should,  according  to  God's 
Law  of  love  toward  the  Lord  and  man.  They  may  be  called 
our  negative  sins. 

"The  wounds  I  might  have  healed; 
The  human  sorrow  and  smart! 
But  evil  is  wrought  by  want  of  thought 
As  well  as  by  want  of  heart!" 

Sins  of  commission  on  the  other  hand,  are  our  positive 
sins.  We  commit  them  as  we  transgress  in  thoughts,  words, 
and  deeds. 

To  our  sinful  thoughts  belong  our  wrong  motives,  sinful 
intentions,  and  all  evil  deliberations  of  our  heart. 

Sinful  words  include  wicked  ejaculations  as  well  as  all 
our  expressions  tainted  by  sin,  be  they  in  prose  or  in  rhyme, 
in  jest  or  in  earnestness,  all  words  of  flattery  and  frivolity 
as  well  as  of  bitterness  and  profanity. 

Our  sinful  deeds  comprise  sinful  gestures  as  well  as  all 
acts  whereby  we  transgress  the  Law  of  God. 

3.  Sin  has  been   defined   as  "want  of  conformity  unto, 


RESULTS  OF  FALL,  SIN  AND  PUNISHMENT  37 

or  transgression  of,  any  law  of  God,  given  as  a  rule  to  the 
reasonable  creature." 

Sin  is  not  merely  "selfishness"  as  some  want  us  to  believe, 
nor  "weakness"  as  others  claim,  nor  can  it  justly  be  termed 
a  "remnant  of  our  original  animal  nature,"  as  evolutionists 
teach.  In  its  essence  all  sin  is  rebellion  against  the  Most 
High.  In  1  John  3:4  it  is  defined  as  "lawlessness,"  i.  e.  some- 
thing suggestive  of  anarchy.  Several  0.  T.  words  expressive 
of  sin  clearly  bring  out  sin's  nature  as  revolt,  rebellion,  dis- 
obedience. Most  of  the  N.  T.  words  used  for  sin  in  their 
origin  signify:  "missing  the  mark,"  "stepping  aside,"  "dis- 
obedience," "impiety,"  "injustice,"  "debt." 

4.  Kinds  of  sin.  Various  distinctions  have  been  made 
in  attempts  to  classify  sins  of  different  nature.  The  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  for  instance,  calls  some  sins  "venial,"  there- 
by understanding  transgressions  of  the  Law  which  are  "not 
of  grave  importance."  But  the  Reformed  hold  that  every 
sin  is  an  abomination  in  God's  sight,  though  we  of  course 
admit  that  not  all  transgressions  are  equally  grievous. 

People  have  in  former  times  spoken  of  the  "Seven 
Capital  or  Deadly  Sins"  viz.  pride,  covetousness,  lust,  anger, 
gluttony,  envy  and  sloth,  and  Rome  also  mentions  "mortal 
sins,"  understanding  by  them  such  sins  which  "deprive  the 
soul  of  supernatural  life." 

Ivikeyvise  do  Roman  Catholics  enumerate  "six  sins  against 
the  Holy  Spirit,"  viz.  presumption  of  God's  mercy,  despair, 
resisting  the  known  christian  truth,  envy  at  another's  spirit- 
ual good,  obstinacy  in  sin,  and  final  impenitence. 

While  these  sins  are  of  course  very  grievous,  Protestants 
as  a  rule  prefer  to  abide  by  the  Word  which  tells  us.  Matt. 
31:32:  "Wherefore  I  say  unto  you,  all  manner  of  sin  and 
blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  unto  man;  but  the  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Ghost  shall  not  be  forgiven  unto  men.... 
neither  in  this  world,  nor  in  the  world  to  cume."  What  this 
one,  "unpardonable  sin"  is,  has  been  discussed  times  innum- 
erable.    The  following  may  be  safely  said  on  the  subject: 

(a)  "Not  every  sin  against  the  Holy  Spirit  is  unpardon- 
able."    Eph.  4:30. 

(b)  The  texts  mentioning  the  sin  plainly,  Matt.  12:32; 
Mark  3:29,  and  Luke  12:10,  speak  of  "blaspheming"  against 


38  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

the    Holy    Spirit,    that    is:    conscious,    deliberate,    continued 
rejection  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  sofar  as  he  reveals  the  Savior. 

(c)  The  falling  away  mentioned  in  Heb.  6:4-6,  10:29,  was 
also  a  sinning  against  the  Holy  Spirit  which  could  not  be 
pardoned,  but  it  seems  that  this  manner  of  committing  the 
unpardonable  sin  was  possible  only  in  the  apostolic  period 
when  special  gifts  of  grace  were  given. 

(d)  In  the  days  of  the  apostles  this  sin  could  be 
known,  1  John  5:16,  but  whether  we  in  our  times  can  recog- 
nize it  is  questionable.  The  best  test  in  regard  to  this  sin 
is  negative:  one  who  fears  he  committed  this  sin  usually  has 
not  been  guilty  of  it."     (Dr.  G.  Vos). 

5.  There  is  one  more  thing  we  should  bear  in  mind 
concerning  the  subject  of  sin.  It  is  that  there  are  not  alone 
sins  of  us  as  individuals  but  also  sins  belonging  in  common 
to  groups  of  persons,  such  as  families,  congregations,  denomi- 
nations, organizations,  corporations,  and  nations.  May  God 
grant  us  to  see  how  numerous  our  sins  are,  so  that  we  duly 
humble   ourselves   before   Him  ! 

H 
As  Reformed  Churches  we  believe  that  we  are  totally 
depraved.  The  Compendium  states  that  we  are  "incapable 
of  doing  any  good,"  and  in  the  Canons  it  is  declared  (IH,  IV, 
3) :  that  men  are  "neither  able  nor  willing  to  return  to  God,  to 
reform  the  depravity  of  their  nature,  nor  to  dispose  them- 
selves to  reformation."  This  doctrine  of  total  depravity  is 
called  the  Augustinian  view  of  sin,  named  after  the  great 
Churchfather  Augustine,  (354-430),  who  opposed  the  Pelagian 
view  that  we  sin  only  by  imitation.  Semi-Pelagians  teach 
that  "man  is  half-sick,  half-well."  But  the  Bible  tells  us 
that  we  are  "dead  in  trespasses,"  Eph.  2:1,  5,  Coll.  2:13,  and 
assures  us  that  as  the  Ethiopian  cannot  change  his  skin,  nor 
the  leopard  his  spots,  so  are  we  unable  to  do  good.  (Jer. 
13:23).  The  Augustinian  view  of  total  depravity  however, 
does  not  mean,  as  some  have  stated,  that  we  cannot  do  natural 
good,  such  as  eating  or  drinking,  or  civil  good,  such  as  filling 
our  positions  in  life,  or  moral  good,  viz.  living  decently  and 
attending  to  outward  church  duties.  Such  good  the  unre- 
generated  also  can  do,  aided  by  common  grace.  (Chapter  XV). 
What  is  meant  by  "total  depravity"  is  that  we,  by  nature. 


RESULTS  OF  FALL,  SIN  AND  PUNISHMENT  39 


without  divine  aid,  are  wholly  incapable  of  pleasing  God 
aright,  and  so  to  act  that  we  merit  salvation.  Regeneration, 
and  that  alone,  alters  this  deplorable  condition  of  ours,  as 
stated  by  the  reply  to  Q.  12.  What  that  term  signifies  is  ex- 
pressed in  Chapter  XV,  so  that  we  shall  not  discuss  it  here. 

Ill 

The  Punishment  of  Sin.  It  is  very  evident  that  a  just 
and  holy  God  cannot  allow  men  to  be  thus  ruined  by  origin- 
al sin,  and  guilty  of  all  sorts  of  actual  sin,  and  suffer  such 
disobedience  and  corruption  to  go  unpunished.  Answer  13 
of  the  Compendium  states  that  He  "in  His  just  judgment  will 
punish  them,  both  in  time  and  eternity,  as  it  is  written: 
"Cursed  is  ever>  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things  which 
are  written  in  the  book  of  the  Law,  to  do  them."  Gal.  3:10. 
Ps.  7:11  informs  us:  "God  is  a  righteous  Judge,  yea  a  God 
that  hath  indignation  every  day." 

That  brings  us  to  the  subject  of  the  Punishment  of  Sin. 

Many  people  curtail  or  entirely  deny  the  fact  that  God 
punishes  sin.  Some  of  them  do  this  by  elevating  the  mercy 
of  God  so  high  that  his  justice  is  overshadowed.  Now,  it  is 
true  that  God  is  merciful — full  of  mercy.  "There's  a  wide- 
ness  in  God's  mercy,  like  the  wideness  of  the  sea,"  and  "the 
love  of  God  is  broader  than  the  measure  of  man's  mind,  and 
the  heart  of  the  Eternal  is  most  wonderfully  kind."  But,  as 
it  is  expressed  in  Canon  II,  Art.  1: 

"God  is  not  only  supremely  merciful,  but  also  supremely 
just.  And  his  justice  requires  (as  he  hath  revealed  himself  in 
his  Word)  that  our  sins  committed  against  his  infinite  majesty 
should  be  punished,  not  only  with  temporal,  but  with  eternal 
punishment,  both  in  body  and  soul;  which  we  cannot  escape, 
unless  satisfaction  be  made  to  justice  of  God." 

This  is  based  on  Holy  Writ.  Rom.  1:18:  "For  the  wrath 
of  God  is  revealed  from  heaven  against  all  ungodliness  and 
unrighteousness  of  man."  Since  these  punishments  are 
meted  out  not  alone  in  this  world  but  also  in  the  world  to 
come,  we  speak  of  two  kinds  of  punishment:  temporal  and 
eternal. 

1.  The  punishment  in  this  world  or  temporal  punish- 
ment may  be  divided  into  inward  and  outward. 

(a)     Inward   punishments  are  such   afflictions  as  blind- 


40  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

ness  of  the  mind,  hardness  of  the  heart,  vile  affections,  hor- 
rors of  conscience,  delusions  of  Satan. 

(b)  Outward  punishments  are  the  evils  of  life  befalling 
our  bodies,  our  names,  our  property,  our  employments,  our 
relations.  Poverty,  pain,  insanity,  loss  of  life  or  limb,  be- 
reavements, sickness,  all  these  and  many  more  of  such 
afflictions  may  be  considered  to  belong  to  this  outw^ard, 
temporal  punishment. 

Some  of  these  punishments  are  meted  out  to  individuals, 
vv'hile  others  afflict  groups  of  people,  be  they  families,  con- 
gregations, cities,  districts,  tribes  or  nations.  To  some  ills  of 
life  all  human  flesh  is  heir.  God  uses  man  to  punish  men,  in 
persecutions,  feuds  and  warfare.  Yea,  all  the  forces  of  nature 
are  at  times  employed  by  him  to  pour  out  his  just  wrath, 
whether  he  makes  use  of  the  invisible  bacillus  of  disease, 
or  of  powerful  tornadoes,  overwhelming  tidal  waves,  and 
startling  earthquakes.  Conflagrations,  crop  failures,  famine, 
and  all  that  involves  affliction  in  any  way,  comes  to  mankind 
not  by  accident,  or  fate,  but  as  sent  and  ruled  and  overruled 
by  him  concerning  whom  it  is  said:  "Shall  evil  befall  a  city, 
and  Jehovah  hath  not  done  it?"  Amos  3:6;  Eph.  4:18;  Rom. 
1:28;  2  Thess.  2:11;  Rom.  2:5;  Isa.  33:14;  Deut.  28:lb-18. 

2.  But  there  is  also  punishment  in  the  world  to  come, 
or  eternal.  This  consists  in  everlasting  separation  from  the 
comfortable  presence  of  God,  deprivation  of  all  his  blessings, 
and  grievous  torments  in  soul  and  in  body  in  hell. 

The  place  where  this  punishment  is  inflicted  is  usually 
named  hell,  "the  hell  of  fire,  where  the  worm  dieth  not,  and 
the  fire  is  not  quenched,"  Mark  9:44.  It  is  also  called  "the 
lake  that  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone,"  Rev.  21:8;  the 
bottomless  pit,  Rev.  !):  2. 

The  dreadful  nature  of  the  punishment  of  the  wicked 
is  implied  in  such  expressions  as  "outer  darkness,"  "weeping 
and  gnashing  of  teeth,"  and  "everlasting  fire,  prepared  for 
the  devil  and  his  angels."  Other  phrases  employed  to  desig- 
nate the  misery  of  the  lost  are  suggestive  of  its  awful  charac- 
ter: "I  am  tormented  in  this  flame,"  Luke  16:24;  "unquench- 
able fire,"  Luke  3:17;  "furnace  of  fire,"  Mat.  13:24;  "blackness 
of  darkness,"  Jude  13;  "torment  in  fire  and  brimstone,"  Rev. 
in:10;  "the  second  death,"  Rev.  21:8. 


RESULTS  OF  FALL,  SIN  AND  PUNISHMENT  41 

Many  people  have  denied  the  everlasting  character  of  this 
punishment,  viz.,  Universalists,  Hestorationists,  Adventists, 
Russellites,  Annihilationists,  etc. 

The  Universalists  and  Restorationists  believe  in  an  ulti- 
mate "restoration  of  all  things,"  including  the  fallen  angels, 
a  final  "universal  salvation,"  from  which  tenet  they  derive 
their  names.  (Compare  Chapter  XVII).  Adventists  and 
Russellites  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  annihilation  of  the 
wicked,  after  the  judgment  day.  They  deny  the  inherent 
immortality  of  the  human  soul.  (Chapter  XI).  The  Churches 
of  Christendom  however,  with  the  exceptions  just  mentioned, 
believe  that  the  punishment  of  the  wicked  will  be  of  endless 
duration.  And  they  have  abundant  reasons  for  entertaining 
this  view.  2  Thess.  1 :!),  10  speaks  of  being  "punished  with 
everlasting  destruction;"  Matt.  25:41:  "Depart  from  me  ye 
cursed,  into  the  eternal  fire,"  and  Matt.  25:46:  "and  these  shall 
go  away  into  eternal  punishment."  The  constant  use  in  the 
Bible  of  such  terms  as  "fire  that  shall  not  be  quenched,"  "fire 
unquenchable,"  the  "worm  that  does  not  die,"  the  necessity 
of  paying  the  "uttermost  farthing,"  and  the  "smoke  of  their 
torment  arising  forever  and  ever,"  is  consistent  only  with  the 
doctrine  that  punishment  is  everlasting  in  the  sense  of  endless 
duration.  No  forced  interpretation  of  "aionios"  (eternal), 
can  gainsay  the  clear  sense  of  the  sacred  text  that  it  means 
what  the  orthodox  church  has  always  understood  it  to  be: 
without  end,  forever  and  ever.  Compare  Luke  3:17;  Mark 
9:45,  46;  Rev.  14:10,  11;  Matt.  12:32;  Mark  3:29;  Jude  13. 

While  it  is  true  that  in  some  cases  "forever"  may  mean 
limited  duration,  such  as  the  statement  about  slaves  being 
bondmen  "forever,"  Ex.  25:46;  Deut.  15:17,  and  elsewhere 
statements  about  temporal  possessions  or  promises,  as  clearly 
shown  in  each  case  by  the  text  and  context,  such  a  meaning 
is  an  exception  to  the  rule.  "Eternal"  and  "everlasting" 
certainly  indicate  endless  duration  as  applied  to  God,  1  Tim. 
1:17,  to  Christ,  Rev.  1:18,  and  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  Heb.  9:14. 
Yet  they  are  the  same  words  used  in  connection  with  punish- 
ment, quoted  above,  and  consequently  must  have  the  same 
significance.  These  terms  are  also  used  to  express  the  end- 
less happiness  of  the  saints,  in  John  6:57,58,  2  Cor.  9:9,  Matt. 
19:29,  Mark  10:30,  John  3:15,  and  Rom.  2:7.  In  Matt.  25:46 
the  very  same  word  is  employed  in  the  same  clause  to  define 


42  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

at  once  the  duration  of  the  happiness  of  the  saints  and  the 
misery  of  the  lost:  "And  these  shall  go  away  into  eternal 
punishment,  but  the  righteous  into  eternal  life,"  and  if  the 
bliss  of  the  saved  is  endless,  as  all  admit,  then  the  misery  of 
the  lost,  the  duration  of  which  is  indicated  by  the  very  same 
word,  must  also  be  endless.  There  is  nothing  in  the  Bible 
to  suggest  that  the  sufferings  of  the  ungodly  will  only  be 
temporary.     Compare  Rev.  17:8,  11,  to  19:20,  and  20:10. 

Reason  and  experience  confirm  this  testimony  of  Holy 
Writ  concerning  the  endless  duration  of  the  punishment  of 
the  wicked.  Man  is  dead  in  sin,  as  we  have  shown  above. 
Repentance  and  faith  are  wrought  in  the  soul  only  by  a 
higher  power,  the  Holy  Ghost,  Chapter  XV.  It  is  impossible 
that  a  lost  soul  in  the  most  unfavorable  circumstances  could 
regenerate  itself  and  seek  and  find  a  Savior  despised  in  this 
life,  rejected  in  the  only  day  of  grace  we  have — the  present. 
Heb.  3:7.  Moreover,  because  sin  is  hardening  in  its  character, 
sinners  in  hell  will  naturally  continue  in  sin  and  rebellion, 
instead  of  ceasing  to  provoke  God,  and  consequently  they 
will  increase  his  indignation  rather  than  diminish  it.  There- 
fore the  Bible  warns  us:  "It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  living  God  !"     Heb.  10:31. 

We  should  not  wonder  at  it,  that  God  punishes  sin  thus. 
For  as  already  stated,  sin  in  essence  is  rebellion.  And 
against  whom?  Against  the  great  God  and  Sovereign  of  the 
world  before  whom  entire  nations  are  as  a  drop  in  a  bucket, 
and  accounted  as  small  dust  of  the  balance.     Isa.  40:15. 

Moreover,  in  the  case  of  the  impenitent  who  lived  in 
christian  circles,  their  damnation  is  unmistakably  clearly 
shown  to  be  just  since  they  have  wilfully  rejected  the  gospel 
offer  of  the  Son,  and  in  many,  if  not  in  all  cases,  did  despite 
to  the  Spirit  of  God.  Heb.  10:26-29.  Such  crimes  against  the 
Triune  Supreme  Majesty  of  the  Universe  deserves  the  most 
severe  punishment.  It  has  been  observed,  and  it  is  a  most 
significant  fact,  that  those  who  hold  the  shallowest  views  of 
God's  greatness  and  sovereignty,  who  have  no  heart  for  his 
glory,  nor  any  desire  after  a  consecrated  life,  are  apt  to  rebel 
the  strongest  against  the  doctrine  of  endless  punishment. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  is  remarkable  that  the  more  we  see  the 
true  character  of  sin  as  hideous,  and  of  God  and  his  Christ 


RESULTS  OF  FALL,   SIN   AND  PUNISHMENT  43 


and  his  Spirit  as  worthy  of  our  praise,  the  more  we  see  how 
just  it  is  that  those  who  persist  in  rebelling  against  God  shall 
be  banished  from  his  presence  forever.  It  has  also  been  noticed 
that  the  more  closely  one  lives  to  his  Lord  the  more  serious 
minded  one  becomes  about  the  awful  prospect  of  the  im- 
penitent, and  the  more  earnest  about  trying  to  save  souls 
from  the  wrath  to  come.  But  people  and  churches  which  are 
lax  and  worldly  in  their  life  are  apt  to  adopt  the  loosest 
views  about  the  future,  and  be  lukewarm  as  to  saving  souls. 
Mission  zeal,  though  for  a  while  it  may  continue  in  "liberal" 
churches,  if  it  ever  existed,  is  sure  to  die  out,  and  among 
those  who  avowedly  hold  the  doctrine  of  annihilation,  res- 
toration and  universalism,  there  is  a  noticeable  absence  of 
earnest  spiritual  power.  They  may  be  zealous  at  proselyt- 
ing, skilful  in  debate,  but  have  no  power  with  God,  and  as  a 
rule  are  poor  winners  of  souls.  By  such  fruits  the  tree  is 
judged  !  May  God  grant  us  to  heartily  believe  the  orthodox 
doctrine  of  the  punishment  of  sin.  It  may  spell  the  awful 
condition  of  friends  and  relatives  who  died  unsaved,  but  our 
feelings  do  not  set  aside  the  plain  statements  of  Holy  Writ  ! 
Moreover,  we  should  love  God  supremely,  and  our  desire  to 
have  him  justified  and  glorified  should  supersede  mere  human 
sympathy.  "The  judgments  of  the  LORD  are  true,  and  right- 
eous altogether,"  Ps.  91:9.  May  it  make  us  the  more  earnest 
to  try  to  rescue  the  perishing  near  us  and  far  away  from  us, 
in  true  mission  love  !  And  let  us  be  sure  ourselves  that  we 
have  fled  for  our  life's  sake  !  The  Bible  tells  us  that  punish- 
ment will  be  especially  severe  for  those  of  the  lost  who  knew 
the  Lord's  will,  (as  we  all  do  who  read  this),  "and  made  not 
ready,  nor  did  according  to  his  will."  Such  will  be  "beaten 
with  many  stripes."  For  there  will  be  degrees  in  punishment. 
Luke  12:47,  48;  Matt.  10:15. 

"Lord,  open  sinners'  eyes. 

Their  awful  state  to  see, 
And  make  them,  ere  the  storm  arise, 
To  Thee  for  safetv  flee!" 


"Our  nature's  totally  depraved; 
The  heart  a  sink  of  sin; 
Without  a  change  we  can't  be  saved; 
We  must  be  born  again. 


44  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

That,  which  is  born  of  flesh,  is  flesh, 
And  flesh  it  will  remain; 

Then  marvel  not  that  Jesus  saith, 
'Ye  must  be  born  again.' 

Spirit  of  life,  thy  grace  impart. 
And  breathe  on  sinners  slain; 

Bear  witness.  Lord,  in  every  heart. 
That  we  are  born  again." 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Which  are  the  two  main  results  of  Adam's  fall  for  us? 

2  Which  two  parts  make  up  what  is  called  our  "original  sin"? 

3  Can  you  prove  from  the  Bible  that  we  have   "original  GUILT"? 

4  How  does  original  guilt  becomes  ours? 

5  What  is  meant  by  "original  POLLUTION"? 

6  How  does  original  pollution  become  our*;? 

7  What  proceeds  from  the  root  or  fountain  of  our  original  sin? 

8  In  which  ways  can  you  CLASSIFY  our  actual  sins? 

9  What  is  sin  in  its  essence? 

10  Which  sins  are  referred  to  by  the  term  "Seven  Capital  Sins"? 

11  What  can  you  say  about  the  one   "unpardonable  sin"? 

12  What  is  meant  by  the  statement  that  we  are  "totally  depraved"? 

13  Can  you  prove  our  total  depravity  from  the  Bible? 

14  Of  which  two  classes  of  punishment  does  the  Compendium  speak? 

15  How  do  we  divide  or  classify  the  punishment  of  sin  in  this  world? 

16  What  is  meant  by  eternal  punishment? 

17  What  can  you  say  of  the  place  of  punishment? 

18  What  can  you  tell  about  the  character  of  this  punishment? 

19  Prove  that  this  punishment  is  eternal. 

20  What  is  our   duty  in   view   of  this  punishment   of   sin,    regarding   our- 

selves and  others? 


THE   SECOND  PART. 


Of  Man's  Deliverance. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


THE  MEDIATOR  WE  NEED 


Q. 

15 

A. 

Q- 

16 

A. 

Q- 

17 

A. 

Q.   14     By  what   means   canst  thou   escape   this  punishment,   and   be 

again  received  into  favor? 
A.  By  such  a  Mediator,  who  is  in  one  person  very  God,   and  a 

real  righteous  man. 

Who  is  that  Mediator? 

Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  in  one  person  is  true  God,  and  a 
real  righteous  man. 

Could  not  the  angels  he  our  mediators? 

No;  for  they  are  neither  God  nor  man. 

Cannot  the  saints  he  our  mediators? 

No;   for  they  themselves  have  sinned,  and  have  obtained  sal- 
vation by  no  other  means,  than  through  this  Mediator. 

The  first  part  of  the  Compendium  closed  with  the  state- 
ment that  our  Misery  would  inevitably  lead  to  our  everlast- 
ing punishment  in  the  world  to  come  !  Naturally  the  question 
arises:  "can  we  escape  this  punishment  and  be  again  received 
into  favor,"  that  is:  be  restored  to  God's  communion?  It  is 
indicated  in  the  answer  that  such  is  possible.  Mankind  has 
been  called  savable,  that  is:  capable  of  being  saved.  It  was 
possible  that  our  deliverance  or  redemption  should  be  brought 
about.  As  to  the  fallen  angels  there  was  no  such  possibility, 
it  seems.  This  has  been  ascribed  to  the  fact  that  there  is 
no  Mediator  for  them.  Nor  could  they  be  represented — the 
one  for  the  many  because  of  lack  of  organic  unity  between 
them,  as  such  is  existing  in  our  race.  Especially  the  utter 
wilfulness  of  their  sin  is  mentioned  as  the  great  reason  why 
there  is  no  redemption  for  them.  They  sinned  without  any 
provocation  or  temptation  from  the  outside,  such  as  took 
place  in  the  case  of  Adam  and  Eve. 

No  doubt  there  is  some  truth  in  these  statements.  But 
we  believe  that  the  deep  and  ultimate  ground  for  leaving  the 


46  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

fallen  angels  in  their  misery  was  the  sovereign  choice  of 
God  who  has  mercy  on  whom  he  will  have  mercy,  (Rom.  9:15), 
and  who  "doeth  according  to  his  will  in  the  army  of  heaven," 
as  well  as  "among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  and  none  can 
stay  his  hand  or  say  unto  him  what  doest  Thou?"  Dan.  4:35. 
That  in  the  case  of  man  there  was  a  possibility  of  being  re- 
deemed, has  been  ascribed  to  the  fact  that  all  human  beings 
have  one  nature  because  of  their  common  origin,  and  could 
be  I'epresented,  and  because  they  sinned  through  temptation 
from  the  outside.  All  this  cannot  be  gainsaid.  But  here 
also  we  may  well  seek  Hie  ultimate  ground  in  sovereign  choice. 
It  pleased  God  to  have  mercy  on  our  race,  and  to  seek  it  anew 
when  the  first  human  pair  broke  loose  from  him  in  Paradise. 
Therefore  the  Reformed  Churches  confess  in  Art.  2,  Canon  2: 
"He  hath  been  pleased  of  his  infinite  mercy  to  give  his  only 
begotten  Son  for  our  Surety!"  Of  course  it  was  impossible 
to  forgive  sin  without  some  kind  of  satisfaction  made  for 
transgression.  God  could  not  leave  sin  uni)unished  because 
of  three  of  his  attributes:  his  truthfulness,  his  justice,  and 
his  holiness. 

His  truthfulness  required  propitiation,  because  God 
had  threatened:  "in  the  day  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt 
surely  die." 

His  justice  implies  that  He  not  only  rewards  the  good 
but  also  punishes  the  offender.  (See  Chapter  IX  on  the  Attri- 
butes of  God.) 

His  holiness  is  too  averse  to  sin  to  permit  restoration  to 
his  favor  without  a  covering  for  sin. 

Neither  was  there  any  possibility  that  man  himself 
should  pay  the  ransom  for  his  own  soul.  His  total  depravity 
barred  the  way.     (Chapter  V.,  II.,  p.  38.) 

The  only  way  to  be  delivered  from  sin  and  misery  would 
be  through  some  One  able  to  be  our  Representative,  and 
equipped  in  every  way  to  satisfy  all  the  demands  of  God  in 
bearing  the  penalty  of  sin  for  us,  and  in  fulfilling  all  the  de- 
mands of  the  Law,  since  it  was  the  condition  of  the  Covenant 
of  works:  "do  this  and  thou  shalt  live."  In  other  words, 
what  we  needed  was  somejjerson  to  be  our  Mediator,  i.e.  one 
who  interposes  between  parties  at  variance^. 

The  first  five  questions  of  the  Second  Part  of  the  Com- 


THE  MEDIATOR  WE  NEED  47 

pendium  are  devoted  to  him:  his  Necessity,  and  his  Qualities, 
Q.  14;  his  Person,  Q.  15;  and  the  fact  that  he  alone  meets  the 
required  conditions,  and  not  angels  or  saints,  Q.  16  and  17. 

1.  The  Necessity  of  a  Mediator  is  apparent  from  what 
we  have  already  said  concerning  the  truthfulness,  justice  and 
holiness  of  God. 

What  mankind  needed  was  "a  man  in  the  gap,"  Ex.  22:30. 

We  needed  One  to  bridge  the  chasm  between  the  Almighty 
and  his  fallen  and  guilty  creature. 

We  needed  a  second  Adam,  to  be  head  of  a  better  Cove- 
nant, that  He  might  obtain  for  us  what  we  could  not  secure: 
life,  favor,  heaven.  We  needed  one  to  bear  all  the  curse  of  the 
first  Covenant,  because  of  the  breaking  of  God's  supreme  Law 
of  love  involved  in  man's  transgression.  We  needed  a  Sub- 
stitute, entirely  satisfactory  to  God,  and  at  the  same  time 
thoroughly  united  with  us. 

And,  glory  to  God,  such  substitution,  whereby  the  Media- 
tor took  the  sinner's  place  and  suffered  and  wrought  in  his 
stead,  God  allowed  in  mercy  !  He  had  foreshadowed  this  in 
the  sacrificial  service  of  the  Old  Testament  sanctuary.  The 
prophets  had  been  bidden  to  prophecy  about  the  coming 
Servant  of  Jehovah  who  was  to  bear  the  sin  of  man,  who 
would  justify  many,  who  would  be  "the  Lord  our  righteous- 
ness," and  to  w^hom  "for  the  transgression  of  my  people," 
"the  stroke  was  due."     (Isa.  53;  Jer.  23:6). 

2.  But  such  a  Mediator  had  to  possess  several  indispens- 
able attributes  or  qualifications.  Paul  suggests  that  when  he 
speaks  in  Heb.  7:26  about  the  high  priest  which  "became  us," 
i.  e.  fitted  our  case:  "holy,  guileless,  undefiled,  separated  from 
sinners  and  made  higher  than  the  heavens." 

Four  qualifications  of  the  Mediator  are  mentioned  in  the 
Compendium:  the  one  to  redeem  us  must  be:  very  God,  a  real 
man,  a  righteous  man,  and  one  who  is  God  and  man  in  one 
person. 

1.  Very  God  the  Mediator  had  to  be.  This  was  because 
no  mere  man,  in  fact  not  any  finite  being,  could  bear  the 
infinite  wrath  of  God  against  sin  and  satisfy  for  it.  This 
was  also  required  to  lend  infinite  value  to  his  merits,  and  to 
make  us  actual  partakers  of  them  forever,  and  likewise  de- 
manded in  order  that  God  might  receive  all   the  praise  and 


48  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

glory  for  redemption.  Moreover  a  divine  Mediator  was  need- 
ed that  in  giving  and  receiving  the  thankfulness  and  due 
homage  of  a  redeemed  people,  no  idolatry  should  be  com- 
mitted. 

2.  Real  man  the  Mediator  had  to  be.  It  was  but  just 
that  sin  should  be  atoned  for  by  and  in  the  same  human  nature 
that  had  transgressed.  Besides  this,  God  was  to  be  served  in 
the  same  nature  which  had  been  set  aside  for  his  service  at 
the  beginning.  No  animal  could  take  our  place.  An  animal 
has  neither  a  human  soul  nor  can  add  moral  worth,  ethical 
value,  to  his  sacrifice.  And  there  is  no  real  bond  of  union 
between  an  animal  and  our  race.  The  humanity  of  the 
Mediator  and  Redeemer  was  also  demanded  in  order  that 
humiliation,  and  dying  might  be  gone  through  as  well  as  exalt- 
ation. And  if  the  Mediator  were  God  alone,  this  could  not 
be  done,  since  divinity  is  not  subject  to  change.  Moreover, 
it  was  God's  purpose  to  manifest  himself  "in  the  flesh,"  that 
is,  in  a  human  nature,  that  there  might  be  the  closest  bond 
of  union  between  the  substitute  and  those  whose  place  He 
took,  and  likewise  that  he  might  be  fully  able  to  sympathize 
with  us,  having  been  afflicted  in  all  our  affliction.  To  this  we 
may  add  that  his  humanity  was  required  that  we  with  our 
finite  minds  might  understand  at  least  something  of  the  "mys- 
tery of  godliness."  As  the  well-educated  missionary  coming 
to  uncivilized  heathen  people  must  stoop  down  as  it  were 
mentally,  that  the  untutored  savages  may  at  least  compre- 
hend something  of  his  message,  so  our  God  had  to  descend 
to  us,  and  send  a  Mediator  who  was  man  as  well  as  God,  to 
bring  his  good  tidings  of  love  in  a  comprehensible  manner. 

3.  Righteous  man  the  Mediator  had  to  be.  Perfectly 
righteous.  Because  one  himself  a  sinner  could  not  satisfy  for 
others,  as  little  and  less  as  one  helplessly  bound  in  a  prison 
can  deliver  others  in  the  same  plight.  An  immaculately  pure 
substitute  was  retiuired  even  as  the  lambs  of  the  tabernacle 
service  of  old  had  to  be  without  blemish, (Ex.  12:5;  1  Pet.  1:19). 
Only  in  such  a  case  God's  holiness  and  justice  could  accept 
the  offer.  An  unrighteous  one  would  himself  have  been  sub- 
ject to  the  punishment  of  sin,  because  polluted  with  its  pol- 
lution and  guilty  with  its  guilt.  As  little  as  one  who  himself 
has  died  of  pestilence  can  stamp  out  that  dread  disease,  so 
little  could  one  himself  unrighteous  deliver  us. 


THE  MEDIATOR  WE  NEED  49 

4.  God  and  man  in  one  person,  that  also  was  just  re- 
quirement of  the  one  to  be  our  Substitute  !  God  and  man 
together  could  not  have  brought  about  redemption.  But  only 
a  God-man,  a  divine  person,  in  perfect  union  with  the  human 
nature.  Without  that  personal  union  the  divinity  of  the  Medi- 
ator might  support  the  humanity,  but  that  was  not  sufficient 
since  in  that  manner  the  deeds  of  the  Mediator  would  after  all 
be  merely  human  efforts  and  would  not  have  the  infinite  value 
they  were  to  have  to  be  representative.  What  was  necessai'y 
to  redeem  us  was  as  Acts  20:28  tells  us,  God,  purchasing  the 
Church  with  His  own  blood.  So  intimate  the  union  had  to 
be.  Therefore  in  prophecy  the  Coming  One  was  announced 
as  "Immanuel" — God  with  us.  (Isa.  7:14,  Matt.  1:23).  Be- 
sides this,  his  person  was  required  to  be  divine  because  all 
merely  human  persons  were  reckoned  in  the  Covenant  of 
Works  and  considered  fallen  and  guilty  in  Adam.  Moreover, 
all  human  persons,  by  virtue  of  their  creation,  were  in  duty 
bound  to  serve  God  for  themselves,  to  obey  the  law,  to  satisfy 
all  the  demands  of  God.  The  person  of  the  Mediator  had  to 
be  divine  to  be  above  these  requirements,  that  he  might  be 
able  to  give  himself  for  others. 

3.  And — thanks  be  to  God — this  Mediator  with  all  these 
wonderful  and  strict  requirements  and  qualifications  has 
been  found. 

Jubilantly  the  answer  to  the  question:  "Who  is  that 
Mediator?"  can  be  given:  "Our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  in 
one  person  is  true  God  and  a  real,  righteous  man."  The 
Scriptures  thus  speak  of  the  Christ,  the  Mediator  whom 
God  provided.  That  He  is  very  God  is  shown  by  his  Names, 
his  Attributes  and  his  Works  as  well  as  by  the  divine  honors 
paid  Him.  (See  Chapters  X  and  XII).  His  true  humanity 
is  plainly  shown  by  the  Bible  speaking  of  his  body,  his  soul, 
his  affections,  his  hunger  and  thirst,  his  subjection  to  death, 
etc.  Matt.  26:  38,  1  Peter  2:  24,  1  Tim.  2:  5.  His  righteousness 
has  been  proclaimed  by  his  words  and  works,  even  his 
enemies  bearing  witness  to  this:  John  8:46;  18:38;  19:4,  6;  Heb. 
7:16.  That  He  in  one  Person  was  divine  and  human  is 
shown  by  John  1:14;  1  Tim.  3:16.  The  personality  in  our 
Savior,  the  "ego,"  was  not  a  human  one  but  the  divine  per- 
sonality  of   the   Second   Person   of   the   Holy   Trinity.        See 


50  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

Chapter  XII.,  II,  3).  In  this  one  divine  Person  both  natures 
of  our  Lord  were  intimately  united. 

The  life  of  our  Lord  has  abundantly  proven  that  He 
was  the  God-given  Mediator.  He  has  brought  about  satis- 
faction by  both  his  passive  and  his  active  obedience.  This 
passive  obedience,  suffering  in  our  stead  the  curse  of  the 
Law,  is  proclaimed  by  Paul,  (Gal.  3:13):  "Christ  redeemed 
us  from  the  curse  of  the  Law,  having  become  a  curse  for 
us:  for  it  is  written.  Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on 
a  tree." 

Isaiah  foretold  this:  "Surely  he  hath  borne  our  griefs, 
and  carried  our  sorrows:  yet  we  did  esteem  him  stricken, 
smitten  of  God  and  afflicted.  But  he  was  wounded  for  our 
transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities:  the  chas- 
tisement of  our  peace  was  upon  him;  and  with  his  stripes 
we  are  healed.  All  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray;  we 
have  turned  every  one  to  his  own  way;  and  the  Lord  hath 
laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."     (Isa.  53:4-6). 

His  active  obedience  is  mentioned  in  Rom.  5:19:  "For 
as  through  the  one  man's  disobedience  the  many  were  made 
sinners,  even  so  through  the  obedience  of  the  one  shall  the 
many  be  made  righteous." 

The  satisfaction  was  actual,  complete  and  personal. 

Actual — He  really  laid  down  his  life  for  his  sheep,  John 
10:11;  Heb.  9:28. 

Complete — expiring  on  the  cross  he  could  exclaim:  "it 
is  finished  !"  John  19:30.  Paul  declares  in  Rom.  5:8-9:  But 
God  commendeth  his  own  love  toward  us,  in  that,  while  we 
were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us.  Much  more  then,  being 
now  justified  by  his  blood,  shall  we  be  saved  from  the  wrath 
of  God  through  him." 

Personal  satisfaction  was  wrought  by  Christ.  He  did 
not  alone  "purchase  his  church,"  Rev.  20:28,  but  each  indi- 
vidual whose  name  was  in  the  book  of  life,  Phil.  4:3,  and 
given  him  is  the  Covenant  of  Redemption,  Chapter  XIX. 
In  Rev.  5:9-10,  we  read:  "And  they  sing  a  new  song,  say- 
ing, Worthy  art  thou  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the  seals 
thereof:  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  didst  purchase  unto  God 
with  thy  blood  men  of  every  tribe,  and  tongue,  and  people, 
and  nation,  and  madest  them  to  be  unto  our  God  a  kingdom 


THE  MEDIATOR  WE  NEED  51 


and  priests."  (Compare  Chapter  XIII  for  details  about  Christ 
being  the  true  Savior  and  the  satisfaction  and  atonement 
he  brought  about.) 

4.  Let  us  be  grateful  to  the  Lord  of  sovereign  mercy 
in  thus  providing  a  satisfying  Redeemer.  Q.  16  and  17  of  the 
Compendium  remind  us  that  Christ  alone  meets  the  required 
conditions.  Angels  could  not  become  such,  for  they  are  not 
divine  so  that  hey  could  perform  salvaion's  work  for 
us.  They  are  not  "man"  to  form  a  union  with  us.  And  they 
themselves  are  in  duty  bound  to  serve  their  Lord  and  Crea- 
tor on  their  own  behalf,  unceasingly.  (See  Chapter  XI,  on 
the  Angels).  Neither  could  saints  help  us,  as  the  Roman 
Church  teaches,  for  "they  themselves  have  sinned  and  have 
obtained  salvation  by  no  other  means  than  through  this 
Mediator."  Even  the  Virgin  Mary  felt  the  need  of  a  "Savior," 
Luke  1:47.  May  none  of  us  rest  till  we  know  Christ  the 
Mediator  has  become  for  us  personally  our  Substitute  and 
Redeemer  ! 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK 

1  Why  has  mankind  been  called  "savable"? 

2  Why   have   some   considered  the   restoration   of  the   fallen   angels   im- 

possible? 

3  What  is  the  deep  reason  for  the  possibility  of  our  salvation? 
i  Why  could  not  God  leave  sin  unpunished? 

5  Why  could  man  not  save  himself? 

6  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  name  Mediator? 

7  Which  are  the  four  main  qualifications  for  one  who  could  be  our  Sub- 

stitute and  Mediator? 

8  Why  was  our  Mediator  required  to  be    "very  God"? 

9  Why  was  the  Mediator  required  to  be  "real  man"? 

10  Why  was  he  to  be  a  righteous  man? 

11  Why  was  the  Mediator  required  to  be  Gcd  and  man  in  one  person? 

12  What  double  or  twofold  obedience  wls  cur  Mediator  to  render? 

13  What  is  meant  by  our  Mediator's  passive  obedience? 

14  What  is  meant  by  our  Mediator's  active  obedience? 

15  What  is  the  nature  of  satisfaction  rendered  by  Christ? 

16  Wh^t  is  meant  by  calling  his  satisfaction  actual? 

17  What  is  meant  by  the  satisfaction  being  complete? 

18  What  do  we  mean  by  terming  the  satisfaction  of  Christ  personal? 

19  Why  could  not  angels  and  saints  save  us? 

20  What  should  be  our  prayer  concerning  this  wonderful  Mediator? 


CHAPTER    VII. 


FAITH 


Q.  18  Sh?ll  all  men  then  be  saved  by  the  Mediator,  Jesus,  as  they 
are  all  condemned  in  Adam? 

A.  No;   but  those  only  who  receive  him  by  a  true  faith;  as  it  is 

written,  John  3:  16.  "for  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he 
gave  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
him  should  not  perish,   but  have  everlasting  life." 

Q.   19      What  is  true  faith? 

A.  It  is  a  certain  knowledge  of  God,  and  of  his  promises  to  us  in 

the  gospel,  and  a  hearty  confidence  that  all  my  sins  are 
forgiven  me,  for  Christ's  sake. 

Since  the  Mediator  tooli  the  place  of  Adam  the  question 
naturally  arises:  "shall  all  men  be  saved  by  the  Mediator, 
Jesus,  as  they  are  all  condemned  in  Adam?"  The  Universal- 
ist  answers:  yes.  Chapter  V.  And  so  do  many  who  have 
never  given  earnest  attention  to  the  matter  and  say  as  Tenny- 
son: 

"Behold,  we  know  not  anything; 
I  can  but  trust  that  good  shall  fall 
At  last — far  oft' — at  last,  to  all. 
And  every  winter  change  to  spring." 

But  the  Compendium  asserts  that  there  is  no  ground  for 
this  so-called  "larger  hope."  Only  those  are  to  be  saved  by 
Christ  who  receive  him  by  a  true  faith.  That  is  very  clearly 
proved  by  the  well  known  text  which  contains  the  whole 
gospel  in  the  smallest  compass:  John  3:16.  Only  in  the 
way  of  faith  do  we  become  partakers  of  Christ  and  all  his 
benefits.  Not  even  hearing  the  gospel  is  sufficient.  "With- 
out faith  it  is  impossible  to  please  God,"  Heb.  11:6.  Salva- 
tion is  by  faith,  that  it  might  be  of  grace,  to  the  praise  of 
God,  and  excluding  all  human  boasting.  It  is  by  faith  that  a 
childlike  disposition  may  be  cultivated,  and  that  even  the 
vilest  sinner  be  led  to  hope  in  sovereign  mercy.  In  this 
chapter  we  shall  discuss:  1)  true  faith  in  its  elements;  2)  his- 
torical, miraculous  and  temporary  faith. 


FAITH  53 

1.  The  faith  that  unites  with  Christ  is  called  true  faith 
because  it  is  genuine  in  its  character.  It  is  also  termed 
saving  faith  and  justifying  faith  because  it  is  instrumental 
in  saving  and  justifying:  Acts  16:31;  Rom.  5:7,  (Chapter 
XVIII.)  True  faith  consists  of  two  elements:  knowledge 
and  confidence.  These  were  the  elements  of  the  faith  which 
Adam  possessed  in  Paradise.  F  )r  he  also  could  please  God 
only  through  faith.  In  fact  true  faith  is,  to  some  extent  at 
least,  a  restoration  of  the  knowledge  and  trust  which  man 
possessed  in  his  state  of  innocency. 

Some  have  spoken  of  three  elements  or  parts  of  saving 
faith.  Besides  knowledge  and  confidence  they  named 
assent,  meaning  a  hearty  consent  to  be  saved  by  Jesus 
and  on  his  own  terms.  It  follows  knowledge  and  pre- 
cedes confidence.  This  assent  is  mentioned  in  the  beau- 
tiful definition  of  true  faith  as  given  in  the  Westminster 
Larger  Catechism:  Que.  72.  "Justifying  faith  is  a  saving 
grace,  wrought  in  the  heart  of  a  sinner  by  the  Spirit  and 
Word  of  God,  whereby  he,  being  convinced  of  his  sin  and 
misery,  and  of  the  disability  in  himself  and  all  other  creatures 
to  recover  him  out  of  his  lost  condition,  not  only  assenteth 
to  the  truth  of  the  promise  of  the  gospel,  but  receiveth  and 
resteth  upon  Christ  and  his  righteousness,  therein  held  forth, 
for  pardon  of  sin,  and  for  the  accepting  and  accounting  of 
his  person  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God  for  salvation." 

However,  since  assent  is  so  closely  associated  with  true 
knowledge  and  hearty  confidence  it  is  not  necessary  to  con- 
sider it  a  separate  element. 

(a)  The  knowledge  of  faith,  mentioned  as  its  first  part 
or  element,  is  a  very  important  part  of  true  faith.  Jesus 
said:  to  know  God  is  eternal  life,  i.  e.  the  way  and  the  means 
to  obtain  it.     (John  17:.3). 

In  Isaiah  53:11  we  are  told  that  the  Servant  of  Jehovah 
by  the  knowledge  of  himself  should  justify  many.  Even  in 
natural  life  we  need  knowledge  to  appreciate  things,  to  appro- 
priate things  to  ourselves,  and  in  order  to  serve  intelligently. 
No  wonder  the  Lord  requires  it  if  we  are  to  appreciate  Him 
and  appropriate  salvation,  and  to  serve  God  as  we  ought,  to 
reach  the  purpose  of  our  creation.  This  knowledge  of  saving 
faith  concerns  itself  with  God  and  his  promises  revealed  to  us 


54  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

in  the  gospel.  They  are  the  ohjects  of  our  faith.  We  must 
come  to  know  them.  We  do  not  believe  in  what  is  called  "im- 
plicit" faith,  as  Rome  teaches,  which  claims  that  it  is  sufficient 
to  believe  what  the  Church  believes,  even  though  one  does  not 
personally  know  the  details  of  the  object  of  faith.  The  true 
knowledge  of  faith  is  not  merely  theoretical,  a  knowledge 
which  only  concerns  the  head  and  does  not  touch  the  heart. 
It  is  experimental  knowledge,  i.  e.  based  on  actual  experience. 
It  is  of  a  practical  nature.  It  lives  in  the  soul,  and  is  felt  by 
us,  at  least  at  times.  It  has  been  compared  to  the  opening  of 
the  eyes  of  the  blind  (Isa.  42:7;  Eph.  1:17).  It  makes  spiritual 
things,  formerly  vague  and  unreal,  more  or  less  clear  and  real 
to  us.  When  first  wrought  in  our  soul,  this  knowledge  alarms 
us,  especially  if  granted  to  us  more  or  less  suddenly,  although 
with  some  people  it  comes  slowly  as  the  gradual  rising  of  the 
sun.  It  throws  new  and  remarkable  light  on  the  subject  of 
sin,  on  the  meaning  of  life,  on  our  responsibility  before  God, 
on  the  awfulness  of  being  lost  and  on  the  need  of  serving 
God  whom  we  begin  to  consider  as  worthy  of  our  service  and 
praise  as  we  never  did  before.  The  knowledge  of  true  faith 
gives  us  as  it  were  a  new  Bible.  It  seems  to  place  us  in  a 
new  world.  And  it  makes  us  especially  concerned  about 
the  subject  of  our  personal  salvation.  Seeing  we  in  our  un- 
done and  helpless  condition  can  never  make  ourselves  ac- 
ceptable before  a  holy  God,  we  begin  to  look  anxiously  for 
a  Mediator  between  God  and  man.  Because  of  this,  "God  and 
his  promises  revealed  to  us  in  the  gospel"  become  very  prec- 
ious to  us.  No  wonder,  since  we  begin  to  realize  that  the 
Mediator  and  Redeemer  we  need  is  the  very  heart  of  what 
the  Lord  revealed  to  us  in  His  Word. 

This  knowledge  is  called  certain.  That  means  positive. 
There  is  no  uncertainty  about  it  as  if  it  depended  on  learned 
men  to  prove  to  us  that  the  objects  of  faith  are  real.  Even 
though  the  wise  of  the  world  should  endeavor  to  prove  to  us 
that  God  was  not  existing,  his  gospel  a  fiction  and  Christ  non- 
existent, those  truly  enlightened  cannot  be  robbed  of  the  con- 
viction of  their  reality.  (Heb.  11:1).  This  knowledge  is 
never  lost  entirely,  though  its  light  may  not  always  shine 
equally  clear.  Blessed  who  have  experienced  its  workings 
in  the  mind.     Have  we? 

(b)     Confidence  is  the  second  element  of  true  faith.     It 


FAITH  55 

is  called  hearty  because  it  dwells  in  the  heart  and  proceeds 
from  it,  involving  the  activity  of  our  will.  This  confidence 
or  trust  enables  us  to  receive  and  embrace  Christ  as  the  God- 
given  Mediator.  It  "rests  upon  Christ  and  his  righteousness" 
as  the  delinition  of  the  Larger  Catechism  expresses  it  so 
beautifully,  Isa.  20:3:  "Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace, 
whose  mind  is  stayed  on  thee;  because  he  trusteth  in  thee. 
Trust  in  the  Lord  forever;  for  in  the  Lord  .Jehovah  is  ever- 
lasting strength." 

This  conlidence  accepts  all  of  God's  promises  and  relies 
on  them,  as  promises  meant  personally  for  each  one  who 
receives  them  believingly.  It  is  "taking  God  at  his  Word." 
Compare  Rom.  4:1'.)-21;  2  Chron.  20:20. 

Since  for  a  new  believer  the  forgiveness  of  sin  and  recon- 
ciliation with  God  stands  on  the  foreground,  this  pardon  of 
sin  is  particularly  mentioned  in  the  Compendium.  Bui  we 
should  bear  in- mind  that  all  God's  promises  are  involved  in 
this  trusting  of  faith.  For  in  Christ  all  promises  of  the  Lord 
are  yea  and  amen.     2  Cor.  1:20). 

This  confidence  leads  us  to  commit  ourselves  entirely. 
We  surrender  unconditionally.  We  learn  to  "lean"  on  the 
Beloved.  (Song  of  Sol.  8:5).  This  trust  is  of  such  nature 
that  it  grov^rs  as  we  increase  in  the  knowledge  and  fear  of  the 
Lord.  In  course  of  time  we  learn  to  rely  more  and  more  on 
what  God  has  promised  to  us  in  his  gospel.  In  the  first 
stages  of  this  confidence  a  fleeing  to  God  to  find  refuge  is 
predominant.  Therefore  the  Reformed  Dutch  fathers  spoke 
of  "toevlucht  nemend  geloof,"  which  expresses  the  idea  of 
fleeing  for  refuge.  (Ps.  36:7;  Ps.  46:1.)  But  this  confi- 
dence in  true  believers  develops  more  and  more,  or  should  at 
least  do  so,  in  an  "assured  confidence,"  (Heidelberg  Cate- 
chism, Que.  21),  that  we  are  accepted  in  the  Beloved,  (Eph. 
1:16),  that  we  have  redemption,  that  we  are  saved,  and  not 
simply  that  we  may  or  shall  be  delivered.  That  does  not 
mean,  however  that  true  believers  at  all  times  feel  equally 
assured  of  their  salvation.  There  is  a  marked  difference 
between  the  confidence  of  faith  and  the  assurance  of  sense, 
or  feeling.  Assurance  in  the  sense  of  feeling  or  being  fully 
conscious  of  our  salvation  is  the  ripened  fruit  of  true  faith. 
The  Larger  Catechism  speaks  of  this  when  it  says:  "Assur- 
ance of  grace  and  salvation  not  being  of  the  essence  of  faith, 


56  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

true  believers  may  wait  long  before  they  obtain  it;  and,  after 
the  enjoyment  thereof,  may  have  it  weakened  and  intermitted 
through  manifold  distempers,  sins,  temptations,  and  deser- 
tions; yet  are  they  never  left  without  such  a  presence  and  sup- 
port of  the  Spirit  of  God  as  kee[)s  them  from  sinking  into 
utter  despair."     (Larger  Catechism,  Q.  81). 

But  this  same  Catechism  also  testifies,  Q.  80:  "Such  as 
truly  believe  in  Christ,  and  endeavor  to  walk  in  all  good 
conscience  before  him,  may,  without  extraordinary  revelation, 
by  faith  grounded  upon  the  truth  of  God's  promises,  and  by 
the  Spirit  enabling  them  to  discern  in  themselves  those  graces 
to  which  the  promises  of  life  are  made  and  bearing  witness 
with  their  spirits  that  they  are  the  children  of  God,  be  infal- 
libly assured  that  they  are  in  the  siate  of  grace,  and  shall 
persevere  therein  unto  salvation.  1  John  2:3.  And  hereby 
we  do  know  that  we  know  him,  if  we  keep  his  command- 
ments. 1  Cor.  2:12.  Now  we  have  received,-  not  the  spirit 
of  the  world,  but  the  Spirit  which  is  of  God;  that  we  might 
know  the  things  that  are  freely  given  us  of  God.  1  John  3:14. 
We  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life,  because 
we  love  the  brethren;  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother  abideth 
in  death." 

Many  are  weak  in  their  faith  because  they  are  slothful 
in  spiritual  things.  Neglect  of  prayer,  neglect  of  Bible  study, 
sabbath  desecration  or  imperfect  preparation  for  sabbath- 
day  services,  a  lack  of  attendance  on  preaching  or  want  of 
appreciation  of  it,  improper  use  of  the  sacraments  or  negle't- 
ing  of  them,  worldliness,  lack  of  communing  with  the  saints, 
and  unwillingness  to  engage  in  christian  activities,  all  these 
and  many  more  things  of  this  kind,  are  the  fruitful  s()ur:'es 
of  weakness  in  our  faith.  Let  us  pray  much:  "Lord,  in- 
crease our  faith,"  and  may  we  often  supplicate  for  the 
operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  behalf  of  our  faith.  For  we 
should  always  bear  in  mind,  for  our  own  humiliation,  and  to 
keep  us  dependent  before  God,  that  true  faith  is  the  work  of 
the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  hearts  of  men  and  the  result  of  spe  -ial 
grace.     (Eph.  2:8). 

2.  Therein  lies  the  great  difference  between  true  and  sav- 
ing faith  and  three  other  kinds  of  faith  usually  called  his- 
torical, miraculous  and  temporary. 


FAITH  57 

(a)  Historical  faith  is  called  thus  because  it  believes 
the  truths  of  the  christian  religion  as  one  considers  true  and 
acceptable  the  statements  of  any  reliable  book  on  history. 
It  is  the  result  not  of  special  but  of  common  grace.  While 
it  may  convince  the  mind,  it  does  not  reach  the  heart.  Nor 
does  it  bend  the  will  to  a  real  desire  to  walk  before  God  in 
newness  of  life.  Much  less  does  it  actually  lead  to  humili- 
ation before  God,  a  denial  of  self,  a  crucifixion  of  the  flesh 
and  a  hearty  surrender  to  Christ.  Historical  faith,  is  merely 
a  matter  of  the  mind  and  has  therefore  been  called  "specu- 
lative" in  the  sense  of  only  leading  to  speculations  about 
religion,  its  value,  truth,  etc.,  whereas  saving  faith  is  appro- 
priating in  its  nature.  A  well  known  example  of  historical 
faith  is  King  Agrippa,  Acts  26:27.  It  is  ascribed  to  the  devils 
in  James  2:19.  Nevertheless,  historical  faith  is  a  valuable 
acquisition.  Although  not  sufficient  unto  salvation  (James 
2:17),  it  is  necessary  to  furnish  us  with  information  con- 
cerning the  fundamental  facts  and  truths  of  Christianity. 
May  we  therefor  diligently  study  the  records  of  our  holy 
religion — the  inspired  Bible.     (Chapter  I). 

(b)  Miraculous  faith  is  also  a  result  of  merely  common 
grace  and  not  the  fruit  of  special  grace.  It  leads  people 
to  expect  miracles  to  be  performed  by  them  or  on  them.  Plain 
examples  are  the  nine  lepers  of  Luke  17:17.  They  had  faith 
enough  to  be  healed  but  not  sufficient  to  return  to  Christ, 
thankful  and  saved.  Jesus  refers  to  such  who  possessed 
miraculous  faith  only,  in  Matt.  7:22,  23.  "Many  will  say  to  me 
in  that  day,  Lord,  Lord,  did  we  not  prophesy  by  thy  name, 
and  by  thy  name  cast  out  devils,  and  by  thy  name  do  many 
mighty  works?  And  then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I  never 
knew  you;  depart  from  me  ye  that  work  iniquity." 

This  miraculous  faith  does  not  humble  us  before  God, 
nor  does  it  change  the  heart  and  make  us  seek  Christ  for 
our  salvation's  sake.  At  times  the  Evil  One  seems  to  in- 
fluence it,  to  delude  souls  and  to  fill  us  with  pride.  How- 
ever, it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  the  N.  T.  furnishes 
examples  of  people  who  possessed  true  faith  as  well  as  mir- 
aculous faith.  Think  of  the  leper  who  was  a  Samaritan. 
(Luke  17:15-19). 

(c)  Temporary  faith  is  likewise  the  result  of  common 


58  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

grace,  and  perhaps  in  some  cases  is  also  influenced  by  the 
devil  to  delude  souls  for  eternity.  Artificial  methods  such 
as  are  used  in  some  revival  meetings  are  apt  to  result  in  this, 
especially  in  excitable  natures  and  in  people  but  little  in- 
structed in  the  fundamentals  of  religion.  It  has  been  called 
"presumptuous  faith,"  because  it  presumes  far  too  much. 
Temporary  faith  can  usually  be  distinguished  from  true  faith 
in  the  following  particulars: 

1.  An  unbroken  heart, — involving  absence  of  poverty  of 
spirit. 

2.  Rapid  growth,  accompanied  often  with  great  joy,  but 
lacking  in  solid  conviction  of  unworthiness  and  helplessness. 

3.  Frequently  splendid  gifts  of  speech  mark  its  sudden 
rise,  Matt.  7:22. 

4.  There  is  freedom  from  doubts  and  fears  respecting 
one's  self  and  one's  spiritual  state. 

5.  Usually  the  doctrine  of  General  Atonement  is  relied 
on.     (Chapter  XIII). 

6.  Often  temporary  believers  give  up  their  profession 
of  Christianity  when  persecution  comes  or  disappointment 
sets  in  regarding  the  joys  of  religion,  although  there  are 
reasons  to  believe  that  some  maintain  this  kind  of  faith  to 
their  dying  day  and  to  their  everlasting  ruin.  (Luke 
13:24-27).  The  parable  of  the  sower.  Matt.  13:3-9,  18-23,  illus- 
trates these  different  kinds  of  faith.  Let  us  "examme"  our- 
selves carefully  whether  our  faith  is  of  the  genuine  and 
saving  kind.     (2   Cor.   13:5). 

"Mistaken  souls!  that  dream  of  heav'n, 
And  make  their  empty  boast 
Of  inward  joys,  and  sins  forgiv'n, 
While  they  are  slaves  to  lust. 

Vain  are  our  fancies,  airy  flights, 

If  faith  be  cold  and  dead; 
None,  but  a  living  pow'r  unites 

To  Christ  the  living  head. 

'Tis  faith,  that  changes  all  the  heart, 

'Tis  faith,  that  works  by  love, 
That  bids  all  sinful  joys  depart. 

And  lifts  the  thoughts  above. 

Jesus  it  owns  as  King, 

An  all-atoning  Priest; 
It  claims  no  merit  of  its  own, 

But  finds  it  all  in  Christ, 


FAITH 59 

To  him  it  leads  the  soul, 

When  fill'd  with  deep  distress; 
Appropriates  his  precious  blood, 

And  trusts  his  righteousness." 

But  while  we  must  be  careful  to  "examine"  ourselves 
diligently  and  honestly,  let  us  bear  in  mind  that  our  test 
and  standard  of  faith  is  not  the  manner  of  the  conversion 
of  this  or  that  one,  nor  our  changing  feelings  and  sentiments, 
but  the  elements  of  faith  as  outlined  above.  (Compare  Lesson 
XXII  concerning  self-examination  before  the  Lord's  Supper.) 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Who  claim  that  all  people  will  be  saved  at  the  end? 

2  Do  the  Reformed  Churches  beUeve  that  all  shall  be  saved  by  Christ  as 

they  are  lost  in  Adam?     If  not — why  not? 

3  Why  did  God  appoint  faith  as  the  instrument  for  saving  men  through 

Christ? 

4  Which  are  the  main  elements  of  faith  as  given  in  the  Compendium? 

5  What  is  the  knowledge  of  faith  as  to  its  essence  and  character? 

6  What  is  meant  by  the  assent  of  faith? 

7  What  can  you  say  of  the  confidence  of  saving  faith? 

8  How  do  some  Reformed  distinguish  between  degrees  of  confidence? 

9  Why  are  many  believers  weak  in  the  faith? 

10  How  many  kinds  of  faith  have  been  enumerated? 

11  How  can  you  describe  historical  faith? 

12  What  is  meant  by  miraculous  faith? 

13  What  is  temporary  faith? 

1-i     In  which  way  can  we  tell  the  difference  between  saving  and  temporary 
faith? 

15  What  is  our  duty  concerning  this  highly  important  subject  of  faith? 

16  What  should  be  the  test  or  standard  in  "examining"  ourselves? 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


THE  APOSTLES'  CREED,  THE  EXISTENCE,  ESSENCE 
AND  NAMES  OF  GOD. 


Q.  20  What  is  the  sum  of  that  which  God  has  promised  in  the  gos- 
pel, and  commanded  iis  to  believe? 

A.  That  is  comprehended  in  the  twelve  articles  of  the  Catholic 

Christian  faith,  which  are  as  follows: 

1  I  believe  in  God,  the  Father  Almighty,    maker  of  heaven    and 

earth : 

2  And  in  Jesus  Christ,  his  only  begotten  Son,  our  Lord: 

3  Who   was   conceived   by  the   Holy   Ghost,    born   of   the   Virgin 

Mary: 

4  Suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate,  was  crucified,  dead  and  buried, 

he  descended  into  hell: 

5  The  third  day  he  rose  again  from  the  dead: 

6  He  ascended  into  heaven,  and  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God, 

the  Father  Almighty: 

7  From  then  he  shall  come  to  judgo  the  quick  and  the  dead. 

8  I  believe  in  the  Holy  Ghost: 

9  I  believe  the  holy  Catholic  Church:   the  communion  of  saints: 

10  The  forgiveness  of  sins: 

11  The  resurrection   of  the   body: 

12  And  the  life  everlasting. 

Q.   21     When  you  profess  to  believe  in  God  the  Father,  and  the  Son, 

and  the  Holy  Ghost,  do  you  mean  three  Gods  thereby? 
A.  In  no  wise;  for  there  is  but  one  only  true  God. 

The  objects  of  the  christian  faith,  as  already  mentioned, 
are  "God  and  his  promises  revealed  in  the  gospel."  In  other 
words:  God  with  all  He  is  and  all  He  has  for  us.  We  are 
"commanded"  to  believe  the  promises  concerning  this  because 
they  are  authoritative,  having  been  revealed  by  God  who 
wants  us  to  believe  what  he  makes  known  to  us.  These 
"promises"  are  scattered  throughout  the  whole  Bible.  A  brief 
and  comprehensive  statement  of  them  is  contained  in  the 
Apostles'  Creed.  As  Chapter  I  stated,  this  ecumenical  creed 
was  completed  in  its  present  form  about  500  A.  D.  But  its 
essence  is  much  older,  and  seems  to  be  an  outgrowth  and 
development  of  the  baptismal  formula  of  Matt.  28:19.  In  the 
course  of  time  as  the  statements  of  heretics  required  enlarge- 


THE  EXISTENCE,  ESSENCE  AND  NAMES  OF  GOD         61 


ment,  or  as  the  christian  consciousness  of  certain  doctrines  be- 
came clearer,  additions  were  made  to  it  until  linalh'  its  present 
form  was  obtained.  We  may  say  the  Apostles'  Creed  was 
not  made,  but  it  grew,  slowly  on.  We  call  it  "Apostles' 
Creed"  because  it  is  founded  on  the  teachings  of  the  Apostles 
of  Jesus,  contained  in  the  Bible.  It  grew  out  of  the  general 
life,  spirit  and  wants  of  the  apostolic  Church.  The  Roman 
Church  believes  that  each  one  of  the  twelve  Apostles  contrib- 
uted one  article.  This,  however,  we  consider  simply  a  tradition 
fathered  by  Ambrose,  bishop  of  Milan  (died  397),  one  of  the 
four  great  Latin  Church  fathers.  There  is  no  proof  for  his 
belief  in  this  regard.  The  Apostles'  Creed  contains  the 
articles  of  our  catholic  christian  faith.  Catholic  signifies 
general.  The  truths  of  the  Creed  are  called  thus  because  they 
are  held  by  the  Church  of  all  ages,  and  of  all  lands,  by  Roman 
and  Greek  Catholics  as  well  as  by  all  orthodox  Protestants. 
Christian  indicates  that  it  is  the  Church  of  Christ  which  be- 
lieves these  truths,  and  not  those  outside  of  its  pale.  The 
twelve  articles  are  divided  into  three  parts:  the  first  article 
speaking  of  God  the  Father;  articles  2-7  of  God  the  Son;  and 
articles  8-12  of  God  the  Holy  Spirit  and  his  works. 

The  present  Chapter  will  be  devoted  to  :  1,  the  Existence 
of  God;  2,  his  Essence,  and  3,  his  Names.  Following  ones 
will  describe  God's  Attributes,  his  Persons  (the  Holy  Trinity), 
and  his  works  of  Creation  and  Providence. 

1.  God's  Existence  has  already  been  mentioned  briefly 
in  Chapter  I.  Let  us  here  state  in  detail  the  main  arguments 
usually  adduced  to  prove  that  there  is  one  Supreme  Being. 

The  first  argument  is  called  the  cosmological  one,  from 
the  word  "cosmos,"  meaning  world.  That  this  universe  exists, 
with  all  its  rich  and  wonderful  contents,  with  its  space  and  its 
time,  necessarily  leads  us  to  infer  that  there  must  be  a  Maker 
of  it  all,  since  it  could  not  come  into  being  of  itself.  No 
theory  of  an  "eternal  series,"  or  "accident,"  can  account  for 
a  created  universe,  as  little  as  a  house  with  its  brick,  mortar, 
wood  and  paint  could  originate  of  itself,  or  come  into  exist- 
ence by  chance,  Heb.  3:4.  Moreover  the  vastness  of  the  uni- 
verse presupposes  that  its  Maker  must  be  inconceivably  great, 
and  powerful,  in  other  words — God. 

The  second  argument  is  termed  the  teleological  one,  from 


62  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

the  word  "telos,"  meaning  purpose  or  design.  As  a  watch 
proves  not  only  a  maker  but  also  a  designer,  so  the  world  in 
which  we  live  with  its  wonderful  purposes,  its  order,  its  unity 
and  harmony,  and  the  co-operation  of  its  forces,  leads  us  to 
infer  the  existence  of  a  great  Cause  back  of  it  all,  with  an 
originating  and  superintending  intelligence  and  will. 

The  third  argument  is  named  ontological,  from  the  word 
"ontos"  or  being.  Man  has  an  idea  of  an  infinite,  eternal  su- 
preme Being.  "Whence  is  this  idea?  From  finite  and  imper- 
fect beings  like  ourselves?  Certainly  not!  Therefore  this 
idea  suggests  the  existence  of  such  a  Being  as  a  Person  and 
not  a  mere  thought. 

The  fourth  argument  is  called  the  moral  argument.  Man 
is  not  alone  an  intelligent  creature,  but  is  also  a  moral  being 
with  a  conscience.  Conscience  in  man  says:  "thou  shall," 
and  "thou  shalt  not."  These  mandates  cannot  be  self-im- 
posed but  imply  a  moral  Governor  to  whom  we  are  responsi- 
ble—God. 

The  fifth  argument  is  based  on  the  universality  of 
belief  in  the  existence  of  God.  It  has  been  called  the  "con- 
sensus" argument.  Man  everywhere  believes  in  the  existence 
of  a  Supreme  Being  or  beings.  Whence  is  this  general  con- 
viction? Reasoning  cannot  wholly  account  for  it,  for  even 
the  most  uncivilized  tribes  entertain  this  belief.  'Nor  can 
tradition  account  for  it,  for  tradition  can  perpetuate  only 
what  has  been  originated.  We  therefore  argue  that  it  must 
be  based  on  the  existence  of  God. 

The  sixth  argument  is  termed  the  historical  one.  History, 
the  more  it  is  studied,  the  more  it  reveals  to  us  that  it  has  a 
plan  and  that  it  is  a  process.  This  can  only  be  the  case 
since  there  is  One  back  of  its  events  and  progress,  one  Ruler 
of  the  thoughts  and  purposes  of  man — God. 

The  seventh  argument  is  called  the  argument  from  con- 
gruity,  Congruity  signifies  appropriateness.  If  we  have  a 
key  which  fits  all  the  wards  of  the  lock  we  know  it  to  be  the 
right  key.  If  we  have  a  theory  which  fits  all  the  facts  in  the 
case,  we  know  then  that  we  have  the  right  theory.  Belief 
in  a  self-existent,  personal  God  is  in  harmony  with  all  the 
facts  of  our  mental  and  moral  nature,  as  well  as  with  all  the 
phenomena  of  the  natural  world.     Atheism  leaves  all  these 


THE  EXISTENCE,   ESSENCE  AND  NAMES  OF  GOD         63 

matters  without  an  explanation.  We  therefore  infer  from 
this  fact  also  that  there  is  a  God. 

Last  but  not  least  we  mention  the  argument  from  Scrip- 
ture: That  the  Scriptures  are  of  divine  origin  and  thoroughly 
reliable,  we  saw  in  Chapter  I.  Now  these  Scriptures 
everywhere  assert  and  declare  the  existence  of  God.  They 
show  it  on  every  page  and  do  not  even  consider  it  necessary 
to  prove  this  existence.  They  even  state  twice :  "the  fool  hath 
said  in  his  heart  there  is  no  God."     (Ps.  14:1;  53:1). 

God's  existence  is  assumed  without  hesitation.  In  view 
of  the  character  of  Holy  Writ,  we  may  well  consider  its 
declarations  and  assumptions  to  be  a  well  established  fact  and 
an  incontrovertable  argument. 

2.  The  Essence  of  God.  The  Bible  teaches,  and  the  ar- 
guments mentioned  infer,  the  Unity  of  God.  While  heathen 
nations  have  believed  and  do  believe  in  many  gods  (poly- 
theism), in  the  nature  of  the  case  there  can  be  only  one  Su- 
preme Being  (monotheism).  Even  heathen  philosophers 
have  admitted  this,  guided  by  the  light  of  reason.  The  Scrip- 
tures abundantly  prove  this  unity,  Deut.  6:4:  "Hear,  O  Israel; 
the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Lord."  Isa.  44:8:  "Beside  me  there 
is  no  God."  1  Cor.  8:4:  "There  is  none  other  God  but  one." 
On  the  ground  of  this  the  Compendium  states:  "there  is  but 
one  only  true  God."     (Que.  21). 

Now,  as  to  the  Essence  of  this  one  God,  Scripture  teaches 
that  he  is  a  personal,  spiritual  Being,  of  infinite  perfection, 
existing  in  three  Persons. 

God  is  a  personal  Being.  This  we  hold  over  against  Pan- 
theism, which  teaches,  as  the  name  indicates:  "all  is  God." 
It  teaches  that  the  universe  in  its  ever  changing  forms  is  the 
one,  ever  changing  substance  which  is  God.  God  is  thus 
identified  with  nature.  Some  pantheists  claim  He  comes  to 
consciousness  in  man,  but  apart  from  man  is  an  unconscious 
force.  The  Bible  however  everywhere  denies  such  asser- 
tions and  represents  God  as  a  Person,  with  all  the  attributes 
of  what  we  term  a  person,  viz.  intelligence,  will,  self-con- 
sciousness, and  self-determination.  God  speaks  of  himself 
with  personal  pronouns.  "I  am  that  I  am,"  Ex.  3:14.  The 
names  given  him  in  Holy  Writ  denote  personality,  such  as 
Jehovah-Jireh,  "the  Lord  will  provide,"  Gen.  22:13,  14;  Je- 


64  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

hovah-  Kapha,  "the  Lord  that  healeth,"  Ex,  15:26,  etc.  The 
Bible  speaks  of  God  loving.  Rev.  .3:19,  hating,  Prov.  (kIG,  griev- 
ing, Gen.  6:6,  etc.,  all  expreslons  belonging  to  personality. 

God  is  a  spiritual  Being.  This  we  maintain  against  Mor- 
monism  which  teaches  that  God  has  flesh  and  bones.  But 
the  Savior  declared:  "God  is  a  Spirit,"  John  4:24,  and  "a  spirit 
hath  no  flesh  and  bones,"  Luke  24:39.  Elsewhere  he  is  spoken 
of  as  "the  invisible  God,"  Coll.  1:15,  1  Tim.  1:17.  While  the 
Bible  mentions  God's  hands,  eyes,  ears,  feet,  etc.  these  anthro- 
pomorphic, or  "man-like"  expressions  must  not  be  taken 
literally,  since  this  would  contradict  God's  spirituality  so 
plainly  taught  in  the  above  mentioned  texts,  but  figuratively, 
indicating  different  attributes  or  acts  of  God.  (About  God's 
perfections  see  Chapter  IX,  and  about  his  existence  in  three 
Persons,  Chapter  X). 

3.  The  principal  Names  of  God  as  given  in  the  O.  T. 
are  three  in  number,  God,  (Hebrew:  El,  Elah,  and  Elohim), 
Gen.  1:1;  LORD,  (Hebrew:  JEHOVAH),  and  sometimes 
abbreviated  to  JAH,  Ex.  2:-13,  14,  Ps.  68:4;  and  Lord,  (He- 
brew: Adon,  or  Adonai),  Gen.  15:5. 

Compounded  with  the  name  El  (God),  are  the  names  Al- 
mighty, El-Shaddai,  Gen.  17:1;  Most  High,  (El-Elyon),  Gen. 
14:8;  and  Everlasting  God,  (El-Olam),  Gen.  21:33. 

Compounded  with  JEHOVAH  are  likewise  three  names: 
LORD  God,  (JEHOVAH-Elohim),  Gen.  2:7;  Lord  GOD,  (Ado- 
nai-JEHOVAH),  Gen.  15:2;  and  Lord  of  Hosts,  (JEHOVAH- 
Sabaoth),  1  Sam.  1:3,  James  5:  4,  Rom.  9:  29. 

In  the  preceding  paragraph  we  already  mentioned  the 
names  JEHOVAH-Jireh  and  JEHOVAH-Rapha.  Other  names 
of  a  similar  character  are  JEHOVAH-Nissi,  "the  Lord  our 
Banner,"  Ex.  17:8-15;  JEHOVAH-Shalom,  "the  Lord  our 
Peace,"  Judges  6:24;  JEHOVAH-Tsidkenu,  "the  Lord  our 
righteousness,"  Jer.  23:  6;  and  JEHOVAH-Shammah,  "the  Lord 
is  present,"  Ez.  48:  35. 

All  these  names  of  God  are  of  great  significance  to  us  be- 
cause they  reveal  something  of  God's  perfections  to  us.  The 
name  Jehovah  is  particularly  significant  because  it  is  God's 
name  as  Covenant  God  of  his  people,  expressive  of  his  self- 
existence  and  unchangeableness.  In  the  Authorized  version  it 
is  translated  LORD,  with  capital  letters,  while  in  the  Revised 


THE  EXISTENCE,  ESSENCE  AND  NAMES  OF  GOD         65 

version  it  is  printed  Jehovah.  The  N.  T.  name  for  God, 
(Theos),  is  a  translation  of  El  and  Elohim,  while  Kurios 
stands  for  JEHOVAH.  Jesus  named  God  with  the  precious 
name  Father.  Israel  collectively,  recognized  God  as  the  na- 
tional Father,  Isa.  63:16;  64:8,  but  the  N.  T.  revealed  fully 
God's  Fatherhood  with  reference  to  the  individual,  Gal.  3:26; 
4:  6,  7;  Matt.  6:8,  9.  "God"  emphasizes  the  supremacy  of  the 
Deity,  and  "Lord,"  God's  ownership  of  us,  while  the  name 
"Father"  lays  stress  on  his  kindness  and  love.  Some  have 
tried  to  express  God's  Essence  with  only  one  name,  such  as 
Light,  Love,  Life,  Goodness,  Righteousness.  But  this  is  not 
biblical  since  the  infinite  fulness  of  the  Godhead  cannot  pos- 
sibly be  described  by  one  name.  Our  God  is  indeed  the  Exist- 
ing One,  wondrous  in  his  Essence,  glorious  in  his  Namesl 
May  we  praise  him  for  thus  revealing  himself,  and  daily  call 
upon  his  Name! 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Which  are  the  objects  of  our  christian  faith  in  a  general  sense? 

2  How  did  the  Apostles'  Creed  originate? 

3  Why  do  we  call  it  "Apostles'  Creed"? 

4  Into  how  many,  and  which  parts  is  this  Creed  divided? 

6     How  many  arguments  have   been  constructed  in  proof  of  the  existence 
of  God? 

6  Can  you  describe  the  cosmological  argument? 

7  What  does  the  teleolojical  argument  mean? 

8  What  is  meant  by  the  ontologic:^l  argument? 

9  What  is  the  moral  argument? 

10  On  what  is  the  consensus  argument  based? 

11  What  is  understood  by  the  liistorical  argument? 

12  What  is  the  argument  from  congruity? 

13  What  is  the  scriptural  argument? 

14  Can  you  prove  the  unity  of  God,   i.e.  that  there  Is  only  One   Supreme 

Being? 

15  Can  you  prove  the  personality  of  God? 

16  Prove  that  God  is  a  spiritual  Being. 

17  Which  are  the  principal  Names  of  God? 

18  Which  lessons  can  you  draw  from  the  existence,  essence  and  names  of 

God? 


CHAPTER    IX. 


THE  ATTRIBUTES   OF   GOD. 


Closely  connected  with  God's  Names  are  God's  Attributes, 
or  the  perfections  of  his  Being  which  reveal  still  more  of  his 
infinite  Essence,  and  which  will  be  discussed  in  this  Chapter. 
We  shall  notice  1)  these  attributes  in  general,  2)  the  incom- 
municable, 3)  the  communicable  ones,  and  4)  God's  Sov- 
ereignty. 

1.  The  word  "attribute"  denotes  a  quality  which  is  as- 
cribed as  due  or  belonging  to  some  one  or  something.  (Dutch: 
eigenschap).  Some  prefer  the  name  "excellencies"  or  "vir- 
tues" of  God,  taken  from  1  Peter  2:  9. 

Article  I.  of  the  Confession  mentions  some  of  these  attri- 
butes: 

"We  all  believe  with  the  heart,  and  confess  with  the 
mouth,  that  there  is  one  only  simple  and  spiritual  Being, 
which  we  call  God;  and  that  he  is  eternal,  incomprehensible, 
invisible,  immutable,  infinite,  almighty,  perfectly  wise,  just, 
good,  and  the  overflowing  fountain  of  all  good." 

The  Westminster  Confession  gives  a  more  complete 
enumeration  of  the  attributes:    Art.  II.: 

"There  is  but  one  only  living  and  true  God,  who  is  infinite 
in  being  and  perfection,  a  most  pure  spirit,  invisible,  without 
body,  parts,  or  passions,  immutable,  immense,  eternal,  incom- 
prehensible, almighty,  most  wise,  most  holy,  most  free,  most 
absolute,  working  all  things  according  to  the  counsel  of  his 
ow^n  imrnutable  and  most  righteous  will  for  his  own  glory; 
most  loving,  gracious,  merciful,  long-suffering,  abundant  in 
goodness  and  truth,  forgiving  iniquity,  transgression,  and  sin; 
the  rewarder  of  them  that  diligently  seek  him;  and  withal 
most  just  and  terrible  in  his  judgments;  hating  all  sin,  and 
who  will  by  no  means  clear  the  guilty." 

These  attributes  are  not  separable  in  fact  or  idea  from 
the  divine  Essence,  neither  are  they  simply  manifestations  of 
God's  Being,  but  are  his  Essence.    For  instance,  God  does  not 


THE  ATTRIBUTES  OF  GOD  67 

simply  have  love,  justice,  truth,  etc.,  but  God  is  Love,  Light, 
Truth,  etc.    (1  John  4:  16;  John  14:  6.) 

These  attributes  are  usually  divided  into  incommunicable 
and  communicable.  Communicable  signifies  imparted  in  the 
sense  that  we  possess  something  similar.  (2  Peter  1:4.)  In- 
communicable means  that  nothing  like  it  has  been  imparted 
to  us. 

2.  The  incommunicable  attributes  are  God's  independency, 
simplicity,  eternity,  omnipresence  and  immutability.  We  pos- 
sess none  of  these  attributes.  We  are  dependent,  instead  of 
independent,  etc.  Independence  signifies  God's  self-existence 
and  all-sufflciency.  God  is  not  dependent  on  anything  or  any 
one  outside  of  Himself.  He  is  not  in  need  of  anything  "see- 
ing he  giveth  to  all  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things,"  (Acts  17: 
25).  God's  simpHcity  indicates  that  in  the  Lord  there  are  no 
component  parts  or  distinctions.  We,  however,  are  complex 
creatures.  The  eternity  of  God  expresses  that  he  is  not  sub- 
ject to  the  limitations  or  measures  of  time  or  duration.  He  is 
the  eternal  God  without  beginning  of  time  or  end,  and  past, 
present  and  future  are  all  before  him  as  an  everlasting  pres- 
ent, an  eternity,  one  and  indivisible,  (Ps.  90:  2-4).  The  omni- 
presence of  God  signifies  his  everywhereness.  "Do  not  1  fill 
heaven  and  earth  saith  Jehovah?"  Jer.  23:24.  The  term  "in- 
comprehensible" used  in  the  Confession  expresses  the  same 
attribute  under  a  different  aspect.  It  indicates  that  God  is 
exalted  above  the  limits  of  space.  He  is  transcendent,  i.e. 
above  the  world,  distinct  from  it,  independent  of  it.  Omni- 
presence on  the  other  hand  signifies  that  he  is  present  at 
every  point  of  space.  This  is  called  God's  imminence  as  con- 
trasted to  his  transcendence. 

"On  mountains  and  in  valleys 

Where'er  we  are  is  God; 
The  cottage  and  the  palace, 

Alike  are  his  abode. 
Above  us  and  beside  us, 

Our  God  is  ever  near, 
To  watch,  protect  and  guide  us 

Whatever  ills  appear." 

Sometimes  the  term  "incomprehensible"  indicates  that 
'  God  is  above  human  comprehension  in  the  sense  that  we  can- 
not fully  understand  him  since  the  finite  is  not  capable  of  the 


68  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

Infinite.  God's  immutability  is  his  unchangeability.  James  1 : 
17;  Mai.  3:6.  "With  him  is  "no  varialjleness  nor  sliadow  of 
turning."  In  the  case  in  which  the  Bible  speaks  of  God's 
repenting  (Gen.  0:6;  Judges  1:18),  such  clearly  indicates  a 
change  in  God's  methods  of  dealing  with  men  in  grief  over 
them  and  not  a  change  in  his  Being.     Deut.  32:36. 

3.  The  communicable  attributes  of  God  aro  his  knowledge, 
his  power,  and  his  will,  his  will  including  his  holiness,  truth, 
justice  and  goodness.  God's  knowledge  or  intelligence  in- 
cludes all  things  and  events,  past,  present  and  future,  and 
everything  possible  as  well  as  everything  actual.  (Ps.  147:  5): 
"His  understanding  is  infinite."  Because  of  its  all-compre- 
hensive chara.icr  we  speak  of  God's  omniscience,  or  all- 
knowledge,  (1  John  3:20).  It  is  intuitive  or  immediate,  that 
is,  God  discerns  all  things  directly,  and  not,  as  with  us, 
through  logical  processes  of  reasoning.  It  is  independent, 
total,  simultaneous  and  perfect.  It  is  also  essential,  that  is, 
God  knows  all  things  directly,  in  their  true  essence,  while  we 
know  them  only  by  their  appearance.  This  knowledge  is 
likewise  eternal,  Acts  15:18:  "Known  unto  God  are  all  his 
works  from  the  beginning  of  the  world."  We  also  speak  of 
the  w^isdom  of  God,  thereby  indicating  that  God  uses  his 
knowledge  to  reach  the  highest  aims  by  the  best  methods.  The 
powder  of  God  is  all-power  or  omnipotence.  Matt.  19:26: 
"With  God  all  things  are  possible."  It  is  the  perfection 
whereby  God  is  able  to  perform  whatever  he  wills  to  do.  It 
is  infinite  and  absolute.  Jer.  23:17;  Luke  1:27;  Rev.  19:6. 
The  will  of  God  is  the  infinitely  and  eternally  wise,  powerful 
and  righteous  essence  of  God's  willing.  It  has  been  called 
God's  faculty  or  power  of  determining  and  choosing.  We  dis- 
tinguish between  the  will  of  God's  decree  or  his  secret  will 
and  the  will  of  his  command  or  his  revealed  will.  The  terms 
"decretive  will"  and  "preceptive  will"  are  of  the  same  signi- 
ficance. The  will  of  decree  or  the  secret  will  indicates  God's 
eternal  purpose  according  to  which  he  efi'ects  all  things  in 
time.  Eph.  1:11.  (See  Chapter  XVII.)  God's  revealed  will 
or  the  will  of  his  command  is  that  what  he  prescribes  in  his 
Word  as  a  rule  and  unto  which  he  demands  obedience.  The 
Bible  itself  suggests  this  distinction  in  Deut.  29:29:  "The 
secret  things  belong  unto  Jehovah  our  God:  But  the  things 
that  are  revealed  belong  unto  us  and  to  our  children  forever, 


THE  ATTRIBUTES  OF  GOD  69 

that  we  may  do  all  the  woids  of  this  law."  We  shall  never  be 
able,  in  this  life,  to  harmonize  these  distinctions  in  the  will 
of  God,  nor  need  we  try  to  do  so.  Our  great  concern  should 
be  to  obey  the  revealed  will! 

The  attributes  of  God's  holiness,  truth,  justice  and  good- 
ness are  subsumed  under  God's  will  because  they  and  their 
operations  depend  on  the  will  of  God.  God's  holiness  is  that 
perfection  whereby  the  Lord  is  separated  from  all  evil,  de- 
voted to  himself  as  the  highest  good,  and  immaculately  pure. 
As  the  Holy  One,  he  claims  all  creation  to  be  "set  apart"  for 
him,  to  glorify  him.  Isa.  6:3;  Hab.  1:13.  God's  truth  indi- 
cates the  perfection  of  God's  self-consistency.  He  is  what  he 
represents  himself  to  be.  On  this  attribute  rests  God's  faith- 
fulness. Deut.  32:4;  7:8;  Isa.  49:7.  God's  justice  is  the  in- 
finite moral  perfection  or  universal  righteousness  of  his  Be- 
ing. It  is  the  perfection  whereby  he  rewards  every  one  ac- 
cording to  his  work.    Rom.  2:0;  Rev.  22:  12. 

We  speak  of  rectoral  justice,  displayed  in  governing  men: 
distributive  justice  in  giving  each  creature  his  due  reward  or 
punishment;  and  punitive  insofar  as  it  punishes  the  offender. 
God's  justice  was  especially  evident  in  the  sufferings  of 
Christ.    The  lost  will  feel  its  full  weight  in  hell. 

God's  goodness  appears  in  various  forms.  It  includes 
God's  love,  grace,  mercy,  patience  and  benevolence.  Love  is 
the  goodness  of  God  which  has  rational  beings  for  its  object. 
Its  component  elements  are:  complacency,  desire  for  union, 
promoting  welfare.  John  3:16.  We  distinguish  between 
God's  general  and  special  love.  (Ps.  106:  4.)  God's  grace  has 
for  its  objects  the  undeserving  and  guilty.  Rom.  5:8.  We 
distinguish  between  God's  special  grace  towards  his  people, 
and  his  common  grace  in  its  far  wider  bearings.  (Compare 
Chapter  XV.)  The  mercy  of  God  concerns  itself  with  the 
miserable.  Isa.  63:  9.  The  patience  of  the  Lord  is  engaged  in 
sparing  sinners.  Rom.  3:  25.  \Mien  God  is  called  long-suffer- 
ing and  slow  to  anger  (Ex.  34:6),  the  same  idea  is  involved. 
God's  benevolence  (Dutch:  goedertierenheid),  has  for  its  ob- 
jects sensitive  beings.  Ps.  145:9:  "His  tender  mercies  ar 
over  all  his  works."  This  is  called  kindness  in  Eph.  2:  7,  and 
lovingkindness  in  Ps.  25:6;  89:49;  and  Isa.  63:7.  The  name 
"good  pleasure"  (Dutch:  welbehagen),  is  used  to  indicate  tha' 
all  the  bounties  of  God's  goodness  are  gifts  of  free  and  sov 


70  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

ereign  mercy.  Matt.  11:26;  Luke  2:14;  12:32;  2  Thess.  1:11: 
"That  our  God  would  count  you  worthy  of  this  calling,  and 
fulfill  all  the  good  pleasure  of  his  goodness." 

4.  The  prerogative  arising  out  of  all  these  perfections  of 
God  is  his  sovereingty.  Dan.  4:35:  "And  all  the  inhahitants 
of  the  earth  are  reputed  as  nothing;  and  he  doeth  according 
to  his  will  in  the  army  of  heaven  and  among  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth;  and  none  can  stay  his  hand  or  say  unto  him: 
what  doest  thou?"  This  sovereignty  is  absolute  and  infinite, 
although  exercised  in  harmony  with  his  other  qualities,  so 
that  it  cannot  be  otherwise  than  an  infinitely  wise,  righteous 
and  merciful  sovereignty.  May  we  ever  meditate  reverently 
and  believingly  on  all  these  attributes  of  our  God  and  seek  a 
saving  interest  in  them.    Do  we? 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  What  do  we  understand  by  the  "attrihutes"  of  God? 

2  How  are  they  divided  or  classified? 

3  Mention  the  INCOMMUNICABLE  attributes. 
■I  What  is  meant  by  God's  independency? 

5  Describe  God's  simplicity. 

6  What  is  God's  eternity? 

7  What  can  you  say  about  the  omnipresence  of  God? 

8  What  is  God's  immutability? 

9  Name  the  COMMUNICABLE  attributes  of  God. 

10  What  can  you  say  of  the  knowledge  of  God? 

11  What  is  the  power  of  God? 

12  Wh?t  is  the  will  of  God? 

13  What  is  meant  by  the  distinction  between  the  secret  and  the  revealed 

will  of  God? 

14  What  is  God's  holiness? 

15  What  is  God's  truth? 

16  What  is  the  justice  of  God? 

17  Which  forms  does  the  goodness  of  God  assume? 

18  Describe  the  grace  of  God. 

19  What  is  God's  mercy? 

20  What  is  the  patience  of  God? 

21  What  is  God's  benevolence? 

22  What  is  God's  "good  pleasure"? 

23  Describe  and  prove  the  sovereignty  of  God. 

24  What  lessons  should  we  learn  from  this  chapter  on  the  attributes  of  God? 


CHAPTER  X. 
THE  HOLY  TRINITY. 


Q.   22     Why  do  you  then  name  three,  the  Father,   the   Son,   and  the 

Holy  Ghost? 
A.  Because  God  hath  so  revealed  himself  in  his  Word,  that  these 

three  distinct  persons,  are  the  only  one  and  true  God,  and 

we  also  are  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 

Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Question  21  asked:  "When  you  profess  to  believe  in 
Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost,"  (mentioned  in  the  Apostles' 
Creed),  "do  you  mean  three  Gods  thereby?" 

The  answer  was  very  definite:  "In  no  wise,  for  there  is 
but  one  only  true  God."  But  while  this  is  entirely  true,  the 
Christian  Church  believes  that  there  are  personal  distinctions 
in  the  one,  indivisible  Godhead.  What  the  Church  believes 
on  this  subject  is  expressed  in  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Trin- 
ity. This  word  Trinity  is  a  contraction  of  the  word  tri-unity, 
meaning  three-in-one.  In  Art.  VIII.  of  the  Confession  of 
Faith  the  doctrine  is  unfolded  in  the  following  statements: 

"According  to  this  truth  and  this  Word  of  God,  we  believe 
in  one  only  God,  who  is  one  single  essence,  in  which  are  three 
Persons,  really,  truly  and  eternally  distinct,  according  to 
their  incommunicable  properties;  namely,  the  Father,  and  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  Father  is  the  cause,  origin  and 
beginning  of  all  things  visible  and  invisible;  the  Son  is  the 
word,  wisdom,  and  image  of  the  Father;  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the 
eternal  power  and  might,  proceeding  from  the  Father  and  the 
Son.  Nevertheless  God  is  not  by  this  distinction  divided  into 
three,  since  the  Holy  Scriptures  teach  us,  that  the  Father,  and 
the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  have  each  his  personality;  dis- 
tinguished by  their  properties;  but  in  such  wise  that  these 
three  persons  are  but  one  only  God.  Hence  then,  it  is  evident, 
that  the  Father  is  not  the  Son,  nor  the  Son  the  Father,  and 
likewise  the  Holy  Ghost  is  neither  the  Father  nor  the  Son. 
Nevertheless  these  persons  thus  distinguished  are  not  di- 
vided, nor  intermixed;  for  the  Father  hath  not  assumed  the 
flesh,  nor  hath  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  the  Son  only.  The  Father 
hath  never  been  without  his  Son,  or  without  his  Holy  Ghost. 
For  they  are  all  three  co-eternal  and  co-essential.  There  is 
neither  first  nor  last;  for  they  are  all  three  one,  in  truth,  in 
power,  in  goodness  and  in  mercy." 


72  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

The  proof  of  the  foregoing  article  of  the  Trinity  of  Per- 
sons in  one  God  is  given  in  detail  in  Art.  IX. 

"All  this  we  know,  as  well  from  the  testimonies  of  Holy 
Writ,  as  from  their  operations,  and  chiefly  by  those  we  feel  in 
ourselves.  The  testimonies  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  that  teach 
us  to  believe  this  Holy  Trinity  are  written  in  many  places  of 
the  Old  Testament,  which  are  not  so  necessary  to  enumerate, 
as  to  choose  them  out  with  discretion  and  judgment.  In  Gene- 
sis, Chap.  1:  26,  27,  God  saith:  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image, 
after  our  likeness,  etc.  So  God  created  man  in  his  own  image, 
male  and  female  created  he  them.  And  Gen.  3:22:  Behold 
the  man  is  become  as  one  of  us.  From  this  saying,  'let  us 
make  man  in  our  image,'  it  appears  that  there  are  more  per- 
sons than  one  in  the  Godhead;  and  when  he  saith,  God  created, 
signifies  the  unity.  It  is  true  he  doth  not  say  how  many  per- 
sons there  are,  but  that,  which  appears  to  us  somewhat  ob- 
scure in  the  Old  Testament,  is  very  plain  in  the  New.  For 
when  our  Lord  was  baptized  in  Jordan,  the  voice  of  the 
Father  was  heard  saying,  'This  is  my  beloved  Son';  the  Son 
was  seen  in  the  water,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  appeared  in  the 
shape  of  a  dove.  This  form  is  also  instituted  by  Christ  in  the 
baptism  of  all  believers.  Baptize  all  nations,  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  In  the 
gospel  of  Luke,  the  angel  Gabriel  thus  addressed  Mary,  the 
mother  of  our  Lord,  'the  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee, 
and  the  power  of  the  Highest  shall  overshadow  thee,  there- 
fore also  that  holy  thing,  which  shall  be  born  of  thee,  shall  be 
called  the  Son  of  God';  likewise,  'the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  the  love  of  God,  and  the  communion  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  be  with  you.'  And,  'there  are  three  that  bear  record  in 
heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  these 
three  are  one.'  In  all  which  places  we  are  fully  taught,  that 
there  are  three  persons  in  one  only  divine  essence.  And  al- 
though this  doctrine  far  surpasses  all  human  understanding; 
nevertheless  we  now  believe  it  by  means  of  the  Word  of  God, 
but  expect  hereafter  to  enjoy  the  perfect  knowledge  and 
benefit  thereof  in  Heaven.  Moreover,  we  must  observe  the 
particular  offices  and  operations  of  these  three  persons  to- 
wards us.  The  Father  is  called  our  Creator  by  his  power; 
the  Son  is  our  Savior  and  Redeemer,  by  his  blood;  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  our  Sanctifier,  b>  his  dwelling  in  our  hearts.  This 
doctrine  of  the  Holy  Trinity  hath  always  been  defended  and 
maintained  by  the  true  Church,  since  the  times  of  the  apostles, 
to  this  very  day,  against  the  Jews,  Mohammedans,  and  some 
false  christians  and  heretics,  as  Marcion,  Manes,  Praxeas, 
Sabellius,  Samosatenus,  Arius,  and  such  like,  who  have  been 
justly  condemned  by  the  orthodox  fathers.  Therefore,  in  this 
point,  we  do  willingly  receive  the  three  creeds,  namely,  that 
of  the  Apostles,  of  Nice,  and  of  Athanasius:  likewise  that, 
which,  conformable  thereunto,  is  agreed  upon  by  the  ancient 
fathers." 


THE  HOLY  TRINITY  73 

As  indicated  in  the  closing  lines  of  this  Article,  there 
have  been  people  who  denied  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Trinity 
in  olden  days.  During  the  I^eforniation  and  shortly  after- 
wards, the  Socinians  refused  to  believe  in  the  Trinity.  They 
insisted  on  the  Unity  of  God,  claiming  that  the  only  divine 
Person  of  the  Godhead  was  the  Father.  The  Son  was  called 
God's  tirstborn,  a  creature  therefore,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  sim- 
ply a  divine  intluence,  not  a  divine  Person. 

The  Socinians  have  been  followed  in  this  by  the  present- 
day  Unitarians  who  derive  their  name  from  the  fact  that  they 
insist  on  the  Unity  of  God  but  deny  the  Trinity.  The  Swe- 
denborgians  reject  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Trinity  as  a  hu- 
man invention.  "Christian  Science"  states:  "The  theory  of 
three  Persons  in  one  God  (that  is,  a  personal  Trinity  or  Tri- 
unity)  suggests  heathen  gods,  rather  than  the  one  ever-pres- 
ent I  AM."  "Life,  Truth  and  Love  constitute  the  triune  God,  or 
triply  divine  Principle."  This  includes,  naturally,  a  denial  of 
the  personality  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  is  not  a  Person.  The  Holy 
Ghost  is — "Christian  Science!"  Russellism  denies  the  Holy 
Trinity  since"  it  teaches  that  Christ  was  not  God  before  his 
incarnation.  Mormonism  also  rejects  the  orthodox  concep- 
tion of  the  Trinity,  practically  on  the  same  grounds  as  the 
Russellites,  although  it  grants  that  the  Holy  Ghost  "is  a  per- 
sonage in  the  godhead,"  but  "is  not  that  which  lighteth  every 
man  that  cometh  into  the  world,"  thus  teaching  the  unscrip- 
tural  doctrine  that  the  Holy  Ghost  and  the  Holy  Spirit  are 
two  ditferent  beings.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  called  a  "substance," 
such  as  electricity! 

But  no  matter  how  many  voices  have  been  raised  to  com- 
bat this  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  we  have  abundant  rea- 
sons to  hold  it,  and  to  maintain  it  as  a  very  precious  and 
fundamental  part  of  our  Creed.  It  is  amply  revealed  in  the 
Word  of  our  God. 

This  revelation  was  a  very  gradual  one.  At  the  dawn  of 
history,  when  there  was  a  great  danger  of  having  the  people 
of  God  commit  the  sins  of  idolatry  and  image-worship,  God 
emphasized  his  unity.  Gen.  17: 1;  Ex.  3:  6,  14,  15,  20,  etc.  But 
even  in  these  early  days  there  were  suggestions  of  personal 
distinctions  in  the  godhead.  The  plural  form  of  the  name 
God  (Elohim),  the  statement:  "Let  us  make  men,"  Gen.  1:26, 


74  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

the  mention  made  in  the  Old  Testament  of  God's  Spirit,  and 
of  his  Word  and  Voice,  Gen.  1:3;  Ps.  29:3-10;  Ps.  139:7; 
Job  26: 13,  and  of  "Wisdom"  in  Prov.  8:22-31,  as  well  as  the 
appearing  of  the  "angel  of  the  Covenant,"  Gen.  16: 13;  31: 13; 
32:28,  30;  Ex.  23:21;  Ps.  34:8;  35:5,  all  these  things  showed 
plainly  a  distinction  of  personality  in  the  One  God  of  the 
Bible.  Gradually  it  was  revealed  that  this  distinction  in- 
volved three  divine  Persons.  Ps.  33:  6  stated:  "By  the  Word 
of  Jehovah  were  the  heavens  made,  and  all  the  host  of  them 
by  the  Breath  of  his  mouth."  and  in  Isa.  61: 1,  the  Servant  of 
the  LORD  practically  proclaimed  the  Trinity:  "the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  Jehovah  is  upon  Me." 

What  the  Old  Testament  suggested  was  revealed  fully  in 
the  New  Testament.  While  maintaining  the  unity  of  God, 
John  17:3;  1  Cor.  4:1;  1  Tim.  2:5,  the  three  distinct  Persons 
manifested  themselves  plainer  and  plainer  as  such.  At  the 
incarnation  we  find  the  Father,  sending  his  Son,  John  3:16, 
and  this  Son  conceived  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Matt.  1:20.  At 
Christ's  baptism  the  Son  received  the  Spirit  in  the  shape  of  a 
dove,  while  the  Father  spoke,  from  heaven.  Matt.  3: 16,  17. 

The  works  which  Christ  performed  were  shown  him  by 
the  Father,  John  5: 19,  while  wrought  by  the  Spirit,  Matt.  12: 
28.  Heb.  9: 14  tells  us  that  the  Savior  at  his  death,  through  the 
eternal  Spirit,  offered  himself  to  God.  Finally,  in  the  baptism 
command  of  Matt.  28:  19,  in  the  apostolic  benediction  of  2  Cor. 
13: 14,  and  in  the  salutation  of  Rev.  1:  4-6,  we  find  the  three 
divine  Persons  placed  side  by  side,  receiving  equal  honor, 
mentioned  in  close  conjunction,  and  thus  completing  the  grad- 
ual revelation  of  the  Holy  Trinity. 

These  three  divine  Persons  are  one  in  essence,  each  one 
possessing  all  the  divine  attributes,  while  they  are  three  in 
Person,  each  possessing  distinct  personal  attributes,  or  prop- 
erties. The  personal  property  of  the  Father  is  his  Paternity, 
i.e.  that  he  is  Father,  existing  of  himself,  John  5:26.  In  a 
primary  sense  he  is  thus  called  because  he  is  the  Father  of  the 
Son,  a  relation  existing  from  eternity,  and  lasting  forever, 
John  1:14;  17:24. 

In  a  secondary  sense  he  is  named  Father  as  Creator  of 
the  universe  and  all  its  creatures,  1  Cor.  8:6;  Eph.  3:  15,  and 
Father  of  his  people  as  the  One  who  chose  and  called  it,  and 


THE  HOLY  TRINITY  75 

who  adopts  each  believer  into  his  family,  Deut.  32:6;  Isa.  63: 
16;  John  1:12. 

The  personal  property  of  the  Son  is  his  Sonship,  his  being 
begotten  of  the  Father  in  what  is  called  his  eternal  "genera- 
tion," Ps,  2:7,  and  which  has  been  detined  as  an  eternal,  per- 
sonal act  of  the  Father,  generating  the  Person  (not  the 
essence)  of  the  Son,  by  connnunicating  to  him  the  whole  indi- 
visible substance  of  the  Godhead,  without  division,  alienation 
or  change,  so  that  the  Son  is  the  express  image  of  the  Father's 
Person.     (A.A.Hodge.)     Heb.  1 :  3;  John  10:  38;  14: 11;  17:  21. 

The  personal  property  of  the  Spirit  is  his  procession,  i.e. 
his  proceeding  from  both  the  Father  and  the  Son,  who  unite 
in  him,  and  through  him  dwell  in  men,  John  15:26.  This 
procession  from  Father  and  Son  has  been  called  "spiration," 
or  blowing,  breathing,  John  20:  22,  and  signifies  the  eternal  act 
of  the  Father  and  the  Son  wherein  their  whole  divine  essence, 
without  division,  alienation  or  change  is  communicated  to 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

Although  each  of  the  three  divine  Persons  is  in  essence 
"Spirit,"  John  4:  24,  and  "holy,"  Isa.  6:  3,  yet  the  third  Person 
is  distinctively  called  "Holy  Spirit."  The  name  "Holy"  is 
given  him  evidently  to  distinguish  him  from  the  spirits  of 
angels  and  men.  Why  he  is  specifically  called  "Spirit"  is  be- 
cause just  as  we  as  human  beings,  as  to  our  soul,  are  spirits, 
and  at  the  same  time  have  a  spirit,  by  means  of  which  we 
know  ourselves  and  search  ourselves,  so  God  who  is  a  Spirit, 
likewise  has  a  Spirit  whereby  he  searches  all  things, 
1  Cor.  2:11. 

Greek  Catholics  claim  that  the  Spirit  proceeds  only  from 
the  Father,  and  not  from  the  Son,  but  Roman  Catholics  and 
Protestants  believe  that  he  proceeds  from  both,  since  he  is  not 
alone  called  the  Spirit  of  God,  the  Father,  Rom.  8:  9,  but  also 
the  Spirit  of  the  Son,  and  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  Rom.  8:9;  Gal. 
4:16. 

In  order  of  existence  the  Father  is  named  the  first  Per- 
son, the  Son  the  second,  and  the  Spirit  the  third  Person. 

This  order  is  also  evident  in  the  order  or  method  of 
works,  of  the  Holy  Trinity. 

The  Father  works  of  himself,  i.e.  originates,  even  as  he 
exists  of  himself.  Predestination,  creation,  providence,  and 
the  kingdom  is  of  him. 


THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED  76 

The  Son  works  the  works  of  the  Father,  John  5: 19,  20,  36, 
especiall>  all  that  belongs  to  his  task  as  Mediator,  Chapter  VI. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  one  who  carries  all  things  to  their 
completion,  by  applying  the  merits  of  the  Redeemer, 
John  15:26. 

But  while  in  each  of  these  several  works  one  of  the  divine 
Persons  acts  in  a  preeminent  manner,  as  representative,  so  to 
speak,  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  there  is  blessed  interaction  and 
joint-action.  For  instance,  we  read  of  the  Son  that  through 
him  God  "made  the  worlds"  and  is  "upholding  all  things," 
Heb.  1 :  3.  And  as  the  Son  does  not  speak  or  act  of  himself 
but  receives  all  from  the  Father,  John  26,  16: 15,  so  the  Spirit 
does  not  speak  of  himself,  but  "he  shall  receive  of  mine" 
(Christ's)  and  shall  show  it  unto  you,"  John  16: 15.  As  the 
Son  glorifies  the  Father  and  testifies  concerning  him,  John  1 : 
18,  17:  4,  6,  so  the  Spirit  witnesses  about  Christ  and  glorifies 
him,  John  15:26,  16:14.  As  no  one  can  come  to  the  Father 
but  by  Christ,  John  14:  6,  so  no  one  can  say  that  Jesus  is  the 
Lord  but  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  1  Cor.  12:3.  By  means  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  we  have  communion  with  the  Son  and  the  Father, 
and  through  the  Spirit  God  in  Christ  dwells  in  our  hearts. 
In  the  love  of  the  Father,  in  the  grace  of  the  Son,  and  in  the 
fellowship  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  our  life,  our  strength  and  our 
salvation,  2  Cor.  13:13;  1  Peter  1:2.  "For  of  him,  and 
through  him,  and  unto  him  are  all  things.  To  him  be  the 
glory  forever."    Rom.  11:  36. 

They  who  reject  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Trinity  deny 
as  a  rule  the  Godhead  of  Christ,  and  the  Godhead  and  per- 
sonality of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Bible,  however,  plainly  tes- 
tifies to  the  fact  that  the  Son  is  co-equal  and  co-eternal  God, 
with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  ascribing  to  him 
divine  names,  attributes,  works  and  honors.  (See  Chap- 
ter XII.) 

It  is  true  that  the  Word  of  God  mentions  a  certain  sub- 
ordination of  the  Son  to  the  Father,  but  the  passages  involved 
have  reference  either  to  the  order  of  existence  mentioned 
above  or  to  the  state  of  Christ  during  his  humiliation  as  our 
Mediator.  We  may  therefore  saj  with  boldness  that  he  who 
rejects  the  Son  as  the  second  person  of  the  Holy  Trinity  is 
guilty  of  the  enormous  sin  of  rejecting  God  himself.    "^Vhos() 


THE  HOLY  TRINITY  77 


denieth  the  Son,  the  same  hath  not  the  Father."  1  John  2:  23. 
The  deity  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  testified  to  by  the  Bible  in 
the  same  manner  as  that  of  the  Son.  We  find  ascribed  to 
him  also  divine  names,  attributes,  works  and  honor.  (See 
Chapter  XV).  The  fact  that  he  is  a  person,  and  not  simply 
a  divine,  impersonal  influence  or  power,  as  some  teach,  is 
proven  abundantly  by  the  personal  attributes  or  qualities 
which  the  Word  of  God  mentions  concerning  him.  Personal 
names  and  titles  are  given  to  him,  such  as  Comforter  and  Ad- 
vocate; personal  pronouns  are  used  in  speaking  of  him,  such 
as  "He,"  and  "himself,"  John  16:7,  8,  13,  14;  and  personal 
works  such  as  searching  and  knowing  things,  both  personal 
activities,  are  ascribed  to  him,  1  Cor.  2: 10,  11,  while  he  is  said 
to  be  "dividing  to  every  man  severally  as  he  will,"  1  Cor.  12: 
11.  Rom.  8:27  speaks  of  the  "mind  of  the  Spirit,"  and  the 
word  mind  is  here  used  in  a  comprehensive  way  including 
ideas  of  thought,  feeling  and  purpose,  as  compared  to  "carnal 
mind,"  Rom.  8:  7. 

The  fact  also  that  the  Spirit  of  God  is  said  to  instruct, 
Xeh.  9:20,  to  call,  to  command,  and  that  we  can  grieve  him  and 
rebel  against  him,  as  well  as  the  mention  made  of  him  on  a 
footing  of  equality  with  Father  and  Son,  who  are  persons, 
as  all  admit,  abundantly  shows  that  those  who  deny  the  per- 
sonality of  the  third  Person  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  reject  the 
plain  testimony  of  Holy  Writ  and  are  guilty  of  a  great  sin. 
Moreover,  for  our  ovvU  comfort  in  our  christian  life  it  is  of 
the  highest  importance  that  we  in  our  weakness  and  ig- 
norance can  rely  not  simply  on  some  "power"  or  "influence," 
no  matter  how  strong,  but  upon  an  intelligent,  sympathetic, 
loving,  divine  personality,  infinitely  wise  and  tender  as  well 
as  mighty!  God  grant  us  all  to  accept  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity  with  all  our  heart,  and  to  entrust  and  to  dedicate  our- 
selves to  the  triune  Covenant  God.  The  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity  marks  the  great  and  fundamental  difference  between 
Christianity  and  false  religion,  even  though  it  may  still  retain 
the  name  "Christian."  The  doctrine  shows  the  possibility 
and  explains  the  method  of  our  salvation.  We  need  the 
Father  to  draw  us,  the  Son  to  save,  the  Spirit  to  sanctify  us. 
"The  triune  God  is  the  only  true  Covenant  God,  above  us, 
for  us,  and  in  us." — Bavinck. 


78  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

"JEHOVAH— Father,  Spirit,  Son 
Mysterious  Godhead,  three  in  one, — 
Before  thy  throne  we  sinners,  bend, 
Grace,  pardon,  life,  to  us  extend!" 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Who  have  rejected  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Trinity? 

2  Can  you  show  from  the  Bible  how  GRADUALLY  it  was  revealed? 

3  Wherein  are  the  three  persons  one,  and  wherein  three? 

4  What  is  the  personal  property  of  the  Father? 

5  What  is  the  personal  property  of  the  Son? 

6  What  is  the  personal  property  of  the  Holy  Spirit? 

7  What  will  you  reply  to  those  who  say  that  the  Spirit  proceeds  only  from 

the  Father,  and  not  from  the  Son? 

8  What  is  meant  by  the  order  of  existence  of  the  three  Persons? 

9  What  is  meant  by  the  order  of  work? 

10  How  can  you  prove  the  deity  of  Christ? 

11  How  can  you  prove  the  deity  of  the  Holy  Ghost? 

12  What  proofs  have  we  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  divine  PERSON  and  not 

simply  an  influence? 

13  Is  it  of  practical  importance  to  hold  that  the  Spirit  is  a  divine  Person? 
li     Of  what  should  we  make  sure  as  to  the  Holy  Trinity  regarding  us  in- 
dividually? 


CHAPTER    XI. 


CREATION  AND   PROVIDENCE. 


Q.  23  What  believest  thou  when  thou  sayest:  "I  believe  in  God, 
the  Father  Almighty,  maker  of  heaven  and  earth"? 

A.  That  the    eternal   Father   of   our   Lord  Jesus   Christ,    who   of 

nothing  made  heaven  and  earth,  and  still  upholds  them  by 
his  providence,  is  my  God  and  Father,  for  Christ  his  Son's 
sake. 

After  the  discussion  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Trinity 
the  Compendium,  following  the  guidance  of  the  Apostles' 
Creed,  takes  up  the  work  of  each  of  the  three  divine  Persons. 
Of  God  the  Father  and  his  work  of  Creation  and  Providence, 
Q.  23  speaks;  of  God  the  Son  and  our  Redemption,  Q.  24-38; 
of  God  the  Holy  Spirit  and  our  Sanctification,  Q.  39-42. 

The  present  chapter  is  devoted  to  Creation  and  Provi- 
dence. For  an  orderly  discussion  of  the  subject  we  shall 
first  take  up  CREATION'S  Essence,  Author,  Cause,  Time  and 
Order,  Chief  Creatures  and  Purpose,  and  then  PROVIDENCE 
in  its  different  features. 

I.  CREATION. 
1)  The  Essence  of  Creation.  To  create  is  to  bring  into 
existence  by  the  act  of  an  omnipotent  will.  In  the  absolute 
sense  it  signifies  producing  something  out  of  nothing.  In  a 
more  limited  sense  it  is  applied  to  producing  something  out  of 
shapeless  matter,— out  of  chaos.  When  God  created  the 
world  in  the  beginning  there  was  absolutely  nothing  except 
God.  There  was  no  matter,  as  some  have  taught,  who  said 
that  matter  existed  from  eternity  the  same  as  God.  The  Lord, 
by  the  Word  of  his  power,  called  things  into  being.  "God 
calleth  the  things  that  are  not,  as  though  they  were,"  Rom.  4: 
17.  Psalm  33:8,  9:  "Let  all  the  earth  fear  the  Lord:  Let  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  world  stand  in  awe  of  him.  For  he 
spake  and  it  was  done;  He  commanded  and  it  stood  fast."  We 
can  receive  this  only  by  faith.  Heb.  11:  3:  "By  faith  we  un- 
derstand that  the  worlds  have  been  framed  by  the  word  of 


80  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 


God  so  that  what  is  seen  hath  not  been  made  out  of  things 
which  do  appear."  Heathen  people  did  not  understand  this 
and  usually  believed  in  the  eternity  of  the  material  world  or 
invented  all  kinds  of  fanciful  tales  about  creation.  The 
Gnostics  believed  that  the  world  had  emanated  or  flowed  out 
of  the  fulness  of  divinity.  (Emanation  theory).  Evolution 
claims  that  all  present  things  were  evolved,  from  the  original 
nebulae,  by  "continuous  progressive  changes,  according  to 
certain  laws,  by  means  of  resident  forces,"  (Le  Conte).  It  has 
no  answer  to  the  question:  whence  this  original  matter?  and 
whence  these  so-called  "resident  forces."  It  also  fails  entirely 
to  explain  the  bridging  of  the  great  gulf  which  separate  the 
organic  from  the  inorganic  and  conscious  life  from  uncon- 
scious existence.  Christian  Science  teaches  God  never  created 
the  heavens  and  the  earth,  for  there  is  no  matter.  The  stars 
of  heaven  and  the  earth  on  which  we  dwell  are  only  apparent 
matter,  for  matter  is  not,  is  nothing,  and  does  not  exist. 
Pantheism  declares  that  there  is  no  distinction  between  God 
and  his  creation;  all  is  God.  Materialism  falls  into  the  op- 
posite extreme — all  is  matter  or  material.  But  the  christian 
recognizes  the  essential  difference  between  the  Lord  and  his 
creation.  The  world  and  all  its  fulness  is  his  handiwork, 
separate  from  God,  although  entirely  dependent  upon  him. 

2)  The  Author  of  Creation  is  the  triune  God.  To  each  of 
the  Persons  of  the  Holy  Trinity  the  work  of  creation  is 
ascribed. 

To  the  Father  in  Gen.  1: 1;  1  Cor.  8:  6. 

To  the  Son  in  Ps.  33:6;  John  1:3;  1  Cor.  8:6;  Coll.  1: 
15,  16. 

To  the  Holy  Ghost  in  Gen.  1:2;  Ps.  33:6  (the  Breath  of 
his  mouth) ;  Ps.  104:  30;  Job  26: 13  and  33:  4. 

And  still,  the  Compendium  is  right  when  it  asserts  that 
"the  eternal  God  and  Father  made  heaven  and  earth,"  even 
as  the  Apostles'  Creed  calls  the  First  Person  specifically  "the 
Father  Almighty,  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth."  This  is  to  be 
understood  in  the  sense  that  the  Father  is  the  divine  Person 
of  whom  are  all  things,  although  he  works  through  the  Son 
and  through  the  Holy  Spirit,  Rom.  11:36.  (About  God  as 
"Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  see  Chapter  X.  on  the  gen- 
eration of  the  Son,  p.  75.) 


CREATION  AND  PROVIDENCE  81 

3)  The  Cause  or  Motive  of  Creation  is  the  good  pleasure 
of  God's  will.  Rev.  4:11:  "Worthy  art  thou,  our  Lord  and 
our  God,  to  receive  the  glory  and  the  honor  and  the  power; 
for  thou  didst  create  all  things,  and  because  of  thy  will  they 
were,  and  were  created."  We  reject  the  teaching  that  God 
was  under  compulsion  to  create  the  world  as  if  he  were  not 
complete  without  it.  The  good  pleasure  of  God's  will  is  the 
primary  cause  of  all  that  has  being  as  God's  handiwork.  In 
this  is  involved  the  essential  unity  of  all  that  exists  since  its 
cause  is  the  act  of  God's  will.  In  this  also  is  the  ground  of 
the  variety  in  the  things  created.  God  willed  to  create  things 
"after  their  kind."    Gen.  1 :  24. 

That  God  created  the  world  should  lead  us  to  proper  ap- 
preciation and  use  of  the  things  of  this  life.  They  are  God's 
handiwork!  At  the  same  time  this  should  keep  us  from  seek- 
ing our  all  in  things  visible.  They  are  not  God,  but  only  his 
creation! 

4)  The  Time  and  Order  of  Creation.  "In  the  beginning 
God  created  the  world."  Gen.  1:1.  All  things  finite  have  a 
beginning.  Only  God  as  the  Infinite  is  "without  beginning 
and  without  end."  "From  everlasting  to  everlasting  Thou  art 
God."  Ps.  90:2.  This  begmning  is  the  beginning  of  time. 
Before  time  was,  God  existed  in  his  own  glory.  Time  began 
when  God  called  the  world  into  being.  Time  has  not  been 
created  separately.  It  is  simply  a  measure  of  duration,  a 
form  of  successive  existence.  We  therefore  deny  that  matter 
is  eternal,  as  has  already  been  remarked.  While  the  idea  of 
all  things  were  in  God  before  the  world  was,  nothing  was 
real  until  God  produced  all  things  at  the  moment  of  his  good 
pleasure.  In  one  moment  God  created  all  matter  in  the  be- 
ginning, as  recorded  in  the  first  verse  of  Genesis.  From  this 
matter,  still  "waste  and  void"  God  fashioned  all  in  systematic 
order  in  six  days.  There  is  a  beautiful  order  in  this  creative 
work.  The  Almighty  first  called  into  being  the  inorganic, 
such  as  earth,  minerals,  atmosphere,  etc.  Then  he  made  the 
organic  or  vegetable  world:  plants.  This  was  followed  by 
creating  the  animal  world:  sensitive  creatures,  in  remark- 
able ascent  from  lower  to  higher  orders  of  beings,  from  the 
simple  to  the  more  complex.  And  finally  he  made  man  who 
has  in  him  inorganic  matter,  who  has  life,  as  plants  have  it, 


82  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

feeling  as  animals,  but  more  than  all — who  has  reason  as  the 
lamp  of  his  being.  There  is  a  remarkable  parallel  between 
what  was  produced  on  the  first  day  and  on  the  fourth  day; 
on  the  second  and  on  the  fifth;  on  the  third  and  on  the  sixth 
day. 

(  1st  day— Light  4th  day— Sun  and  Moon  ) 

INORGANIC       ^nd  day-Firm^ament  5th  day-Fi^sh^a^nd  Fowl      ^^^^^,^ 

\  Grass  Man  ) 

In  "six  days"  God  created  the  world.  Gen.  1:  31;  Ex.  20: 11. 
These  days  are  commonly  held  to  signify  what  we  ordinarily 
understand  by  the  word  day.  Some,  however,  take  the 
creative  days  in  the  sense  of  periods,  led  thereto  mostly  by 
the  theories  of  geology  as  presented  today.  They  appeal  to 
the  wider  meaning  of  the  word  "day"  as  given  in  Gen.  2:4, 
"In  the  day  that  the  LORD  God  made  earth  and  heaven,"  and 
such  terms  as  "day  of  vengeance,"  "day  of  judgment,"  "day  of 
salvation,"  "day  of  the  LORD,"  etc.  Some,  especially  in  our 
days,  ascribe  the  "waste  and  void"  of  Gen.  1:2  to  some  great 
sudden  changes  (cataclysms)  which  the  earth  had  undergone 
previously,  as  a  result  of  divine  judgment  upon  so-called  Pre- 
Adamites,  while  others  connect  it  with  a  previous  testing  and 
fall  of  angels.  They  appeal  to  Jer.  4:23-26  and  Isa.  24: 1  and 
54: 18,  but  evidently  there  is  no  solid  basis  for  the  contention 
of  those  who  hold  the  "Restitution  theory."  We  should  al- 
ways remember  that  human  theories  and  hypotheses  come 
and  go.  But  the  Word  of  "the  Lord  abideth  forever."  (For 
the  Sabbath,  and  Sunday  observance,  see  Chapter  XXVI.) . 

5)  Creation's  chief  creatures.  The  products  of  God's 
creative  work  are  the  world  with  all  its  fulness,  heaven  and 
earth  with  all  their  inhabitants.  The  chief  creatures  are 
angels  and  men. 

(a)  Angels,  it  is  usually  assumed,  were  created  on  the 
first  day.  At  the  time  God  created  the  heavens,  its  glorious 
inhabitants  were  called  into  being  likewise.  (Compare 
Job  38:7.)  Angels  are  created,  finite,  spiritual  beings.  The 
name  "angel"  denotes  a  messenger.  Though  angels  are 
spirits,  power  has  been  given  them  at  times  to  become  visible 
in  the  semblance  of  human  form.  Gen.  19:1;  Ex.  3:2; 
Judges  2:1;  etc.        , 


CREATION  AND  PROVIDENCE  83 

They  are  exceedingly  numerous.  Matt.  26:  53;  Heb.  12:  22; 
Rev.  5:11. 

Their  power  is  very  great.    2  Kings  19:  35. 

Their  place  is  about  the  throne  of  God.    Rev.  5: 11;  7:  11. 

Their  relation  to  the  believer  is  that  of  "ministering 
spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  to  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of 
salvation."  (Heb.  1:  14.)  This  ministry  has  reference  largely 
to  the  physical  safety  and  well-being  of  believers,  as  shown 
by  1  Kings  19:5;  Ps.  34:7;  Ps.  91:11;  Dan.  6:22;  Matt.  2:13; 
Acts  5: 19,  etc. 

Some  infer  from  Heb.  1:14,  compared  with  Matt.  18:10 
and  Ps.  90: 11,  that  this  care  for  the  heirs  of  salvation  begins 
in  infancy  and  continues  through  life.  Roman  Catholics  be- 
lieve in  special  "guardian  angels,"  but  without  sufRcient 
ground. 

The  angels  observe  us,  1  Cor.  4:9;  Eph.  3: 10;  Eccl.  5:  6,  a 
fact  which  should  urge  us  to  christian  conduct.  They  receive 
departing  spirits  of  the  just.  Luke  16:22.  They  will  accom- 
pany Christ  in  his  Second  Coming  and  assist  in  the  Judgment. 
Matt.  25:  31.  The  Bible  speaks  of  archangels  as  well  as  angels, 
mentioning  as  such  by  name  Michael,  (Dan.  10:13;  Jude  9); 
and  Gabriel,  (Luke  1:19,  26;  Dan.  8:16;  9:21).  Other  dis- 
tinctions as  to  the  orders  of  angels  are  implied  in  the  names, 
thrones,  dominions,  principalities  and  powers,  (Eph.  1:21). 
The  difference  between  cherubim  and  seraphim  is  also  made. 
Compare  Ex.  1:6  and  Isa.  6:26  for  difference  in  appearance 
and  work.  The  four  "living  creatures"  of  Rev.  4:  6-8  are  evi- 
dently throne  spirits  representing  created  life  and  symbolic  of 
the  fulness  of  creation. 

In  Chapter  IV.  reference  was  made  alread>  to  the  fact 
that  some  of  the  angels  of  heaven  fell  and  became  devils.  This 
is  taught  in  Art.  Xll.  of  the  Confession  of  Faith,  on  Creation: 

"We  believe  that  the  Father,  by  the  Word,  that  is,  by  his 
Son,  hath  created  of  nothing,  the  heaven,  the  earth,  and  all 
creatures,  as  it  seemed  good  unto  him,  giving  unto  everx 
creature  its  being,  shape,  form,  and  several  offices  to  serve  its 
Creator.  That  he  doth  also  still  uphold  and  govern  them  by 
his  eternal  providence,  and  infinite  power,  for  the  service  of 
mankind,  to  the  end  that  man  may  serve  his  God.  He  also 
created  the  angels  good,  to  be  his  messengers,  and  to  serve 
his  elect;  some  of  whom  are  fallen  from  that  excellency,  in 
which  God  created  them,  into  everlasting  perdition;  and  the 


84  .THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


others  have,  by  the  grace  of  God,  remained  steadfast  and  con- 
tinued in  their  primitive  state.  The  devils  and  evil  spirits  are 
so  depraved,  that  they  are  enemies  of  God  and  every  good 
thing,  to  the  utmost  of  their  power,  as  murderers,  watching 
to  ruin  the  Church  and  every  member  thereof,  and  by  their 
wicked  stratagems  to  destroy  all;  and  are,  therefore,  bV  their 
own  wickedness,  adjudged  to  eternal  damnation,  daily  expect- 
ing their  horrible  torments.  Therefore  we  reject  and  abhor 
the  error  of  the  Sadducees,  who  deny  the  existence  of  spirits 
and  angels:  and  also  that  of  the  Manichees,  who  assert  that 
the  devils  have  their  origin  of  themselves,  and  that  they  are 
wicked  of  their  own  nature,  without  having  been  corrupted." 

The  cause  of  the  fall  of  angels  is  usually  considered  to 
have  been  pride  and  dissatisfaction  with  their  station.  John  8: 
44;  2  Peter  2:4;  Jude  G;  1  Tim.  3:  6.  How  the  fall  could  take 
place  in  a  perfect  and  glorious  creature  like  an  angel  is  as 
much  of  a  mystery  as  how  sin  could  take  hold  of  Adam  and 
Eve,  or  even  more  so,  for  in  the  case  of  the  angels  there  was 
no  outside  tempting  cause  as  with  our  first  ancestors.  The 
possibility  of  their  fall  has  been  sought  in  their  free  will  and 
their  changeability.  The  time  of  their  fall  is  evidently  after 
the  six  creative  days. 

The  head  of  the  fallen  angels  is  Satan,  signifying  "adver- 
sary." "slanderer."  The  name  Lucifer  (lightbearer),  "son  of 
the  morning,"  Isa.  14:12,  is  often  considered  his  heavenly 
name.  Some  consider  him  described  in  his  original  state  in 
Ez.  28. 

"Christian  Science"  denies  the  existence  of  demons  alto- 
gether and  so  do  many  followers  of  "New  Theology,"  who 
consider  them  products  of  false  opinions  and  of  a  supersti- 
tious age.  It  is  very  evident,  however,  from  Holy  Writ  and 
corroborated  by  the  experiences  of  the  saints,  that  there  is  a 
personal  Devil  once  cast  our  of  heaven  (Luke  10: 18),  and 
making  heaven  and  earth  the  scenes  of  tireless  and  fearful 
activity.  (Eph.  2:2  and  1  Peter  5:8.)  After  the  creation  of 
Adam  and  Eve  he  entered  into  the  body  of  a  serpent,  (Gen.  3:1, 
compared  to  Rev.  12:9),  and  beguiling  Eve  he  brought  about 
the  downfall  of  Adam.  (Chapter  IV.)  He  constantly  wages 
war  against  God's  work  and  God's  people.  Of  the  present 
world-system  with  its  principles  of  force,  greed,  selfishness, 
ambition  and  sinful  pleasure,  he  is  the  prince,  (John  14:30; 
16:11),  and  its  god,  (2  Cor.  4:4).  (Compare  Matt.  4:8,  9.) 
He  is  called  prince  of  "the  powers  of  the  air,"  and  has  a  vast 


CREATION  AND  PROVIDENCE  85 

host  of  demons  at  his  commiuid.  (Matt.  7:22.)  What  con- 
nection there  was  hetween  him  and  the  other  fallen  angels  is 
not  known,  but  that  his  downfall  dragged  m>  riads  of  other 
angels  down  into  ruin  is  plain  from  Bible  statements.  By 
means  of  these  numerous  demons,  his  emissaries,  and  helpers, 
(Matt.  12:  26,  27  and  25:  41),  Satan  becomes  practically  ubiqui- 
tous. (Mark  5:!).)  But  his  iinal  and  awful  doom  is  sure. 
Rev.  20:  10.  Let  us  watch  and  pray  lest  the  devil  and  his 
helpers  lead  us  astray,  and  the  more  so  because  Satan  can 
come  to  us  as  an  angel  of  light  as  well  as  a  roaring  lion. 
(2  Cor.  11:14.) 

(b)  Man  is  the  second  chief  creature  of  God.  He  is  com- 
posed of  a  body  and  a  soul.  We  are  told  in  Gen.  2:7:  "the 
LORD  God  formed  man  of  the  dust  of  the  ground  and  breathed 
into  his  nostrils  the  breath  of  life;  and  man  became  a  living 
soul."  Here  are  two  distinct  substances:  one  material  and  the 
other  immaterial.  They  are  different  from  each  other.  How 
the  union  is  made  between  the  two  we  do  not  know.  The 
soul  acts  upon  the  body  and  the  body  upon  the  soul,  but  the 
details  of  the  process  of  interaction  no  human  eye  can  scan. 
The  soul  we  hold  to  be  the  same  spiritual  part  of  man  as  the 
spirit,  but  looked  at  from  a  different  viewpoint.  Although 
Paul  in  1  Thess,  5:  23  and  Heb.  4:  12,  speaks  of  three  parts  of 
man,  spirit,  soul  and  body,  this  does  not  teach  that  a  human 
being  consists  of  three  distinct  parts,  since  the  names  soul 
and  spirit  are  used  interchangeably,  indicating  that  they  refer 
to  one  spiritual  substance,  looked  at  from  different  sides. 
Gen.  1:20;  Eccl.  3:21;  Luke  1:46;  Ps.  143:4;  139:14;  Gen.  35: 
18;  Matt.  27:50.  The  doctrine  that  we  consist  of  three  parts 
is  called  trichotomy,  (three  parts),  while  the  other  view  is 
named  dichotomy,   (two  parts). 

As  to  the  origin  of  the  soul,  we  believe  that  God  creates 
a  new  soul,  from  nothing,  whenever  a  human  being  begins 
to  live.  This  is  termed  Creationism.  It  is  based  on  Zech.  12:  1 
and  Isa.  57:16.  We  reject  Traducianism,  which  is  the  hy- 
pothesis that  the  soul  is  transmitted  to  the  offspring  by  the 
parents.  It  is  sometimes  called  Generationism.  It  is  an  inad- 
missible theory!  Each  human  soul,  as  we  shall  mention  pres- 
ently, is  at  once  a  simple  and  an  immaterial  substance,  conse- 
quently it  is  absurd  to  believe  that  any  part  or  spiritual  germ 


86  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

can  be  detached  from  the  parental  soul.  Still  more  absurd, 
and  fanciful  besides,  is  the  theory  of  Pre-existentism  which 
teaches  that  all  human  souls  were  created  when  the  world 
was  made.  It  is  fretiuently  connected  with  the  theor>  of 
Metempsychosis,or  transmigration  of  souls  which  is  still  being 
held  by  the  Hindus  and  other  eastern  people.  (Chapter  I.) 
There  is  no  proof  for  it  whatever. 

What  is  the  human  soul?  It  has  been  defined  as  a  real 
being,  immaterial  and  indivisible  in  its  nature,  abiding  in 
duration,  individual  in  its  character,  the  agent  and  source  of 
sensation  and  vital  activity  as  well  as  of  thought  and  will. 

We  believe  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  over  against 
Adventists  and  others  who  deny  it.  The  Bible  tells  us, 
Matt.  10:28,  that  men  cannot  kill  the  soul,  that  at  death  it  re- 
turns to  God  who  gave  it,  Eccl.  12:7,  is  present  with  the 
Lord,  2  Cor.  5:  8;  to  be  with  Christ,  Phil.  1:  22-24.  That  shows 
that  it  survives  when  the  body  ceases  to  contain  it  as  its 
tabernacle,  its  house  of  clay.  Job  4:19.  This  immortality  is 
also  inferred  from  the  everlasting  duration  of  the  punishment 
of  the  ungodly,  Chapter  V.,  as  well  as  from  the  eternal  life  of 
the  godly.  Chapter  XVII. 

The  "God  alone  hath  immortality,"  1  Tim.  6:  16,  means 
that  the  Lord  alone  possesses  it  of  himself  and  perfectly,  but 
does  not  deny  that  he  made  the  souls  of  men  inherently  im- 
mortal. Even  reason,  independent  of  the  plain  testimony  of 
the  Bible  postulates  the  soul's  immortality. 

1)  Everyw^here  and  at  all  times  men  believed  it,  as 
burial  rites  and  cemeteries  witness  in  all  ages. 

2)  Even  many  who,  like  Rousseau,  did  not  accept  the 
Bible  testimony,  have  considered  the  evident  inetiuality  and 
injustice  of  this  life  a  proof  of  a  life  to  come,  that  the  wicked 
may  be  justly  punished  and  the  righteous  duly  rewarded. 

3)  The  human  mind  and  heart  has  talents  rising  beyond 
the  needs  of  the  present  life,  and  aspirations  which  are  not 
satisfied  here.  It  is  impossible  to  believe  that  He  who  im- 
planted them  would  not  provide  for  their  adequate  use  and 
realization. 

4)  Conscience,  by  its  commandments  to  do  right  and  to 
avoid  the  wrong,  points  clearly  to  the  fact  that  it  is  "not  all 
of  death  to  die  nor  all  of  life  to  live." 


CREATION   AND  PROVIDENCE  87 

5)  The  soul  does  nol  perish  with  the  body  because  it  is 
not  a  material  something  which  can  be  dissolved,  but  a  simple, 
indivisible  spiritual  unit,  incapable  of  disintegration  and  de- 
struction. 

The  faculties  of  the  soul.  As  the  body  of  man  performs 
certain  functions,  such  as  digestion  and  circulation,  so  the 
soul  is  endowed  with  certain  powers  or  faculties.  They  are 
usually  spoken  of  as  three  in  number:  mind,  will  and  feeling, 
the  latter  often  called  emotions,  affections,  and  sometimes 
comprehended  in  the  term  "the  heart."  These  three  faculties 
of  our  soul  are  united  in  the  higher  unity  of  our  personality, 
our  "ego,"  which  reveals  itself  in  our  self-consciousness,  our 
"I."  The  human  conscience  is  the  activity  of  the  soul  by 
which  distinctions  are  made  between  right  and  wrong  in 
character  and  conduct.  It  testifies  when  our  relation  to  God 
is  not  right  and  as  such  condemns  us  whenever  we  do  what 
it  judges  to  be  evil.  It  is  a  mighty  phenomenon  in  our  mind, 
will,  and  emotions.  But  it  needs  enlightenment  of  God's 
Word  and  Spirit,  lest  it  judge  wrongly.  (Acts  26:9.)  The 
Bible  speaks  about  a  defiled  and  a  seared  conscience,  Titus  1: 
15;  1  Tim.  4:2.  May  God  keep  us  from  it!  The  heart  is 
spoken  of  as  comprehending  our  feeling,  but  the  Bible  often 
speaks  of  it  as  the  centre  of  our  soul  life  whence  are  "the  is- 
sues of  life,"  Prov.  4:  23.  In  regeneration  (Chapter  XV.)  it  is 
the  heart  in  which  the  changing  work  of  God's  Spirit  begins. 
Ez.  36:26:    "A  new  heart  also  wall  I  give  you." 

6)  The  Purpose  of  Creation  is  the  glorification  of  God. 
To  this  everything  else,  including  our  salvation,  is  secondary. 
Prov.  16:4:  "The  LORD  hath  made  all  things  for  himself." 
Rom.  11:  36:  "For  of  him,  and  through  him,  and  to  him  are 
all  things:  to  whom  be  glory  forever."  Rev.  4: 11:  "For  thy 
pleasure  were  they  created."  This  is  not  to  be  considered 
selfish  in  God  since  he  is  the  Supreme  Good,  the  absolute 
Owner  of  all  as  well  as  its  indispensable  Supporter  and  con- 
stant Benefactor. 

II.     PROVIDENCE. 

PROVIDENCE,  the  second  work  of  God  the  Father  is 
mentioned  in  our  Compendium  in  the  same  answer  that 
bears    on    Creation.     What    the    Reformed    Churches    believe 


THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


concerning  this  important  part  of  God's  revelation  it  ex- 
pressed in  Art.  XIII.  of  the  Confession: 

"We  believe  that  the  same  God,  after  he  had  created  all 
things,  did  not  forsake  them,  or  give  them  up  to  fortune  or 
chance,  but  that  he  rules  and  governs  them  according  to  his 
holy  will,  so  that  nothing  happens  in  this  world  without  his 
appointment:  nevertheless,  God  neither  is  the  author  of,  nor 
can  be  charged  with,  the  sins  which  are  committed.  For  his 
power  and  goodness  are  so  great  and  incomprehensible,  that 
he  orders  and  executes  his  work  in  the  most  excellent  and  just 
manner,  even  then,  when  devils  and  wicked  men  act  injustly. 
And,  as  to  what  he  doth  surpassing  human  understanding,  we 
will  not  curiously  inquire  into,  farther  than  our  capacity  will 
admit  of;  but  with  the  greatest  humility  and  reverence  adore 
the  righteous  judgments  of  God,  which  are  hid  from  us,  con- 
tenting ourselves  that  we  are  disciples  of  Christ,  to  learn  only 
those  things  which  he  has  revealed  to  us  in  his  Word,  with- 
out transgressing  these  limits.  This  doctrine  affords  us  un- 
speakable consolation,  since  we  are  taught  thereby  that 
nothing  can  befall  us  by  chance,  but  by  the  direction  of  our 
most  gracious  and  heavenly  Father;  who  watches  over  us  with 
a  paternal  care,  keeping  all  creatures  so  under  his  power,  that 
not  a  hair  of  our  head  (for  they  are  all  numbered),  nor  a 
sparrow,  can  fall  to  the  ground,  without  the  will  of  our 
Father,  in  whom  we  do  entirely  trust;  being  persuaded,  that 
he  so  restrains  the  devil  and  all  our  enemies,  that  without  his 
will  and  permission,  they  cannot  hurt  us.  And  therefore  we 
reject  that  damnable  error  of  the  Epicureans,  who  say  that 
God  regards  nothing,  but  leaves  all  things  to  chance." 

Of  Providence  we  may  conveniently  notice  successively 
its  Essence,  its  Author,  its  Parts,  its  Objects,  and  its  Value. 

1)  The  Essence  of  Providence.  In  its  widest  application 
the  term  Providence  signifies  that  divine  work  that  sustains, 
controls  and  guides  to  their  destination  all  things  that  are 
made.  The  word  Providence  is  related  in  meaning  to  our 
word  provide  in  the  sense  of  taking  care,  though  the  word  lit- 
erally means  to  foresee.  It  is  used  over  a  dozen  times  in  our 
Bible,  notably  in  Gen.  22:  8  and  1  Tim.  5:  8.  God  has  not  left 
the  \vorld  to  itself  after  he  created  it,  as  the  Deists  claim,  but 
provides  for  it  wisely,  lovingly,  generously  and  continually. 
Man\'  terms  of  the  same  significance  as  "provide"  are  em- 
ployed. Acts  17:28:  "In  him  we  live  and  move  and  have  our 
being."  Heb.  1:  3:  "Upholding  all  things  by  the  word  of  his 
power."  Col.  1:17:  "By  him  all  things  consist."  1  Chron.  29: 
12:  "Both  riches  and  honor  come  of  thee,  and  thou  reignest 
over  all;  and  in  thy  hand  is  power  and  might;  and  in  thy  hand 


CREATION  AND  PROVIDENCE  89 

it  is  to  make  great  and  to  give  strength  unto  all."  The  words 
rule,  bear,  care,  preserve,  etc.,  are  likewise  expressive  of  the 
idea  of  divine  Providence.  Ps.  103:28:  "Thou  openest  thy 
hand,  they  are  filled  with  good." 

2)  The  Author  of  Providence  is  God  the  Father.  John  5: 
17:  "My  Father  worketh  hitherto."  The  first  Person  of  the 
Holy  Trinity  is  the  Primal  Cause  of  the  operations  of  Provi- 
dence, as  he  was  so  in  the  work  of  Creation.  However,  here 
also  the  Father  does  not  work  apart  from  the  Son.  In  the  text 
just  quoted,  Jesus  added  "and  I  work."  Heb.  1 : 3  informs  us 
that  the  Son  is  "upholding  all  things  by  the  Word  of  his 
power,"  and  in  Ps.  104:  30  we  find  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
the  work  of  renewing  the  face  of  the  earth. 

3)  The  parts  of  Providence  are  three  in  number:  pre- 
servation, cooperation,  and  government. 

Preservation  is  mentioned  in  Ps.  36:6:  "Lord,  Thou  pre- 
serves! man  and  beast."  This  preserving  or  maintaining  is  an 
absolute  necessity.  So  dependent  is  all  upon  its  Maker  that 
without  this  work  Creation  could  not  continue  to  exist.  We 
can  all  see  that  plants  and  animals  have  no  inherent  principle 
of  life  in  them,  enabling  them  to  exist  independently  of  God. 
As  soon  as  certain  conditions  of  soil,  air  and  temperature  are 
abnormal,  they  perish.  The  same  applies  to  men.  And  that 
serves  as  an  illustration  of  the  way  wherein  the  whole  uni- 
verse depends  on  its  Maker  to  preserve  it.  All  things,  we  are 
told  in  Heb.  1 :  3,  are  upheld  by  the  Lord. 

We  distinguish  between  an  immediate  and  a  mediate  pre- 
servation. Immediately,  that  is,  without  second  causes  as 
means,  God  preserves  the  sun,  moon  and  stars,  the  angels 
and  the  souls  of  men,  and  all  the  forces  of  the  Universe.  Medi- 
ately he  preserves  our  bodies  and  all  living  creatures,  that  is, 
by  means  of  food,  etc.  If  the  ordinary  means  are  not  em- 
ployed, but  extraordinary  ones,  we  speak  of  miracles 
Miracles  are  special  acts  of  God's  providence  which  cannot 
be  explained  by  the  ordinary  workings  of  nature.  Such 
miracles  are  not  only  possible,  but  if  we  believe  in  a  per- 
sonal God,  who  is  Ruler  of  the  Universe  and  cares  for  man- 
kind, miracles  are  to  be  considered  reasonable  and  credible. 
God  has  wrought  them  especially  at  critical  times  in  the  his- 
tory of  his  people,  such  as  the  days  of  Moses,  of  Elijah  and 


90  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

Elisha,  and  of  Christ  and  his  Apostles  to  confirm  the  teach- 
ing of  his  servants  and  his  Son.  But  while  God  is  able  to 
work  immediately  or  in  a  miraculous  way,  we  human  beings 
are  in  duty  bound  to  use  such  means  of  nature  and  of  grace 
as  are  placed  at  our  disposal.  Not  to  use  them  is  tempting 
God. 

Cooperation  means  literally  "working  together."  We  un- 
derstand b>  it  that  almighty  and  omnipresent  power  of  God 
whereby  he  cooperates  with  and  in  all  the  movements  and 
operations  or  workings  of  his  creatures.  As  little  as  we  can 
exist  without  God,  so  little  can  we  do  anything  without  him. 
We  are  not  only  dependent  on  God  as  to  our  being  but  also 
regarding  all  our  activity.  Acts  17:2(S  does  not  alone  declare 
that  we  have  our  being  in  God,  but  also  "in  him  we  live  and 
move."  This  is  ti'ue  in  all  matters  of  grace.  Phil.  2:  13:  "for 
it  is  God  who  worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  work,  for 
his  good  pleasure."  But  it  applies  equally  to  all  activity  of 
mankind,  yea  of  all  that  lives.  Eph.  1:11  assures  us  God 
"worketh  all  things  after  the  counsel  of  his  will;"  Job  12:6-10. 
speaking  of  the  prosperity  of  the  ungodly  and  of  the  activi- 
ties of  the  animal  world  asks:  "Who  knoweth  not  in  all  these, 
that  the  hand  of  the  Lord  hath  wrought  this?  In  whose  hand 
is  the  soul  of  every  living  thing,  And  the  breath  of  all  man- 
kind." 

We  should  bear  in  mind,  however,  that  this  cooperation 
should  not  be  conceived  of  as  destroying  personal  initiative. 
While  we  bow  before  God  as  the  Primal  Cause,  we  believe  at 
the  same  time  in  the  reality  of  second  causes.  And  in  regard 
to  whatever  is  evil  in  our  acts,  we  should  never  forget  that 
Job  34:  10  proclaims:  "Far  be  it  from  God  that  he  should  do 
wickedness,  and  from  the  Almighty  that  he  should  commit 
iniquity."  (James  1:17;  2  Cor.  3:5.)  It  is  a  wrong  theory 
which  so  defines  this  cooperation  that  is  ascribes  all  effi- 
ciency to  God  and  practically  represents  him  as  the  only  be- 
ing in  the  universe,  thus  denying  the  creature's  liberty  of 
action  and  destroying  human  responsibility. 

Government  is  the  third  part  of  the  divine  work  of  Provi- 
dence. It  signifies  that  God  rules  and  overrules  all  activity  in 
the  world  to  a  certain  determinate  end — the  end  he  fixed  in 
his  Plan  of  Ages.    (Chapter  XVII.)    It  is  expressed  in  number- 


CREATION   AND  PROVIDENCE  91 


less  passages  in  the  Bible  that  God  rules  (Ps.  103:19,  etc.). 
The  name  King  which  he  bears  involves  it.  And  that  he  over- 
rules the  counsels  of  the  wicked  is  very  plainly  seen  in  the 
history  of  Joseph,  of  Moses,  and  of  Christ.  It  is  involved  in 
his  promise  to  his  people,  Rom.  8:  28:  "that  to  them  that  love 
God  all  things  shall  work  together  for  good."  This  govern- 
ment also  is  carried  on  in  such  a  way  that  it  is  consistent  with 
our  nature  and  choice.    Hos.  11:  4;  Ps.  81: 12;  Rom.  2:15. 

4)  The  objects  of  Providence.  These  are  literally  "all 
things."  Eph.  1:11.  From  the  hairs  of  our  head,  the  spar- 
rows on  our  roof,  to  the  stars  in  their  courses,  all  that  lives 
and  moves,  lives  and  moves  only  in  God  and  through  God. 
Matt.  10:  29,  30;  Jud.  5: 20;  Ps.  147  and  148.  Providence  covers 
nature  and  nature's  laws,  Acts  14:17;  Job  8:4-10;  38:25-40. 
It  covers  the  words  we  speak  (Prov.  16: 1),  and  our  heart  with 
all  its  purposes  and  motives  is  in  his  hand,  (Prov.  21:  1).  Na- 
tions are  included  in  this  as  well  as  individuals.  "He  re- 
moveth  kings  and  setteth  up  kings."  Dan.  2:21;  4:24,  25; 
Ps.  66:  7.  It  covers  that  which  we  call  "accident,"  because  we 
cannot  control  its  cause  or  its  working,  Prov.  16:33;  Deut. 
19:5;  Ruth  2:3;  2  Sam.  20:1;  Luke  10:31.  Looked  at  from 
God's  viewpoint  there  is  no  "accident"  or  "chance,"  and  it  is 
sinful  and  heathenish  to  ascribe  events  to  so-called  "Luck" 
or  "Fortune"  or  "Fate."  To  make  use  of  fortune-tellers  or 
wizards  is  strictly  forbidden  in  the  Word  of  God,  Lev.  19:  31; 
20:  6,  27;  Deut.  18: 11.  While  all  the  universe  is  the  object  of 
God's  Providence,  the  Lord's  relation  to  all  differs  according 
to  the  nature  of  these  objects.  That  has  led  to  distinguish 
between:  general  Providence,  concerning  all  God's  creation; 
special  Providence,  regarding  rational  beings;  and  particular 
Providence  in  behalf  of  the  people  of  God. 

5)  The  value  of  Providence  is  very  great.  It  teaches  us 
that  we  are  not  the  plaything  of  heartless  Fate,  nor  tossed 
about  on  the  sea  of  existence  as  flotsam  and  jetsam,  but  that 
we  are  in  the  hand  of  God,  who  "is  good  to  all  and  his  tender 
mercies  are  over  all  his  works."  Ps.  145:9.  For  a  believer 
especially  there  is  wonderfully  rich  comfort  in  the  doctrine, 
as  expressed  so  beautifully  in  the  Heidelberg  Catechism, 
Lord's  Dav  X.: 


92  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


"Q.  28.  What  advantage  is  it  to  us  to  know  that  God  has 
created,  and  by  his  providence  doth  still  uphold  all  things? 

A.  That  we  may  be  patient  in  adversity,  thankful  in  pros- 
perity; and  that  in  all  things,  which  may  hereafter  befall  us, 
we  place  our  firm  trust  in  our  faithful  God  and  Father,  that 
nothing  shall  separate  us  from  his  love:  since  all  creatures  are 
so  in  his  hand,  that  without  his  will  they  cannot  so  much  as 
move." 

May  God  grant  us  to  come  to  the  assurance  that  this  God 
is  our  ow-n  personal  Father,  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  for  in  the 
saving  sense  he  becomes  such  only  to  the  true  believers. 
John  8:  42,  44;  Rom.  8:  28;  Gal.  3:  26. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  What  can  you  say  as  to  the  ESSENCE  of  Creation? 

2  What  does  evolution  teach  about  Creation? 

3  Who  is  the  Author  of  Creation? 

4  What  is  the  cause  or  motive  of  Creation? 

5  What  can  you  say  about  the  time  of  Creation? 

6  What  order  can  we  observe  in  the  creative  work? 

7  What  can  you  say  about  the  angels? 

8  What  does  the  Bible  teach  about  the  fall  of  some  angels? 

9  Can  you  prove  the  devil's  personality  and  work? 

10  How  can  you  prove  the  immortality  of  the  human  soul? 

11  What  can  you  say  about  the  faculties  of  our  soul? 

12  What  was  the  purpose  of  Cre"tion? 

13  What  is  the  essence  of  Providence? 

14  Who  is  the  Author  of  Providence? 

15  Describe  the  three  parts  of  Providence. 

16  What  are  the  objects  of  Providence? 

17  Tell  of  the  value  of  Providence. 


CHAPTER     XII. 


THE  NATURES  OF  THE  MEDIATOR,  DIVINE  AND  HUMAN. 


Q- 

24 

A. 

Q. 

25 

A. 

Q. 

26 

A. 

Q. 

27 

A. 

Q. 

28 

A. 

What  believest  thou  when  thou  sayest:  "And  in  Jesus  Christ 
his  only  begotten  Son,  our  Lord"? 

That  Jesus  Christ  is  the  eternal  and  only  Son  of  the  Father, 
co-essential  with  God  the  Father,  and  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Do  you  not  believe  that  he  also  became  man? 

Yes;  for  he  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  born  of 
the  Virgin  Mary. 

Is  his  Godhead  then  changed  into  humanity? 

No ;  for  the  Godhead  is  immutable. 

How  is  he  then  become  man? 

By  assuming  the  human  nature  into  a  personal  union  with 
his  divine. 

Did  he  then  bring  his  human  nature  from  heaven? 

No;  but  he  took  it  on  him  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  by  the  opera- 
tion of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  is  thus  become  like  unto  his 
brethren  in  all  things,  sin  excepted.     Heb.  2:  17;   4:  15. 

Article  I.  of  the  Apostle's  Creed  spoke  of  God  the  Father 
and  his  work  of  Creation  and  Providence.  The  six  following 
Articles  are  devoted  to  the  Son  of  God  and  onr  Redemption. 
We  are  to  study  successively  his  natures  (Q.  24-28  of  the  Com- 
pendium), his  names  (29-31),  his  offices  (31),  and  his  states 
(32-38).  The  present  Chapter  discusses  the  natures  of  our 
Redeemer,  viz.:  1)  his  divine  nature,  and  2)  his  human  nature. 

I.  Christ's  divine  nature.  From  the  beginning  there  has 
been  much  strife  concerning  the  natures  of  Christ.  At  times 
our  Lord's  divine  nature  has  been  denied.  Sometimes  his 
humanity  has  been  conceived  of  improperly.  At  times  their 
union  was  not  correctly  understood.  But  the  orthodox 
Church  of  God  of  all  ages  has  held  that  Christ  is  both  God 
and  man,  in  the  unity  of  his  divine  Person.  Article  X.  of  our 
Confession  expresses  our  faith  in  Christ's  divinity  as  follows: 

"We  believe  that  Jesus  Christ,  according  to  his  divine  na- 
ture, is  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God,  begotten  from  eternity, 
not  made  nor  created  (for  then  he  should  be  a  creature),  but 
co-essential  and  co-eternal  with  the  Father,  the  express  image 
of  his  person,  and  the  brightness  of  his  glory,  equal  unto  him 
in  all  things.    WTio  is  the  Son  of  God,  not  only  from  the  time 


94  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


that  he  assumed  our  nature,  but  from  all  eternity,  as  these 
testimonies,  when  compared  together,  teach  us.  Moses  saith, 
that  God  created  the  world;  and  John  saith,  that  all  things 
were  made  by  that  Word,  which  he  calleth  God.  And  the 
apostle  saith,  that  God  made  the  worlds  by  his  Son;  likewise 
that  God  created  all  things  by  Jesus  Christ.  Therefore  it  must 
needs  follow,  that  he,  who  is  called  God,  the  Word,  the  Son, 
and  Jesus  Christ,  did  exist  at  that  time,  when  all  things  were 
created  by  him.  Therefore  the  prophet  Micah  saith.  His 
goings  forth  have  been  from  of  old,  from  everlasting.  And 
the  apostle:  He  hath  neither  beginning  of  days,  nor  end  of  life. 
He,  therefore,  is  that  true,  eternal,  and  almighty  God,  whom 
we  invoke,  worship  and  serve." 

The  usual  method  of  proving  the  divinity  of  the  Second 
Person  of  the  Holy  Trinity  is  by  showing  that  the  Bible  as- 
cribes to  Him  divine  names,  divine  attributes,  divine  honor, 
and  divine  works. 

(a)  Divine  names  are  given  to  the  Lord  Christ  when  he 
is  called  "Mighty  God,  everlasting  Father,"  Isa.  9:6;  "Jeho- 
vah our  Righteousness,"  Jer.  23:6;  "God,"  John  1:1;  20:28; 
Rom.  9:5;  1  John  5:20;  "Our  great  God,"  Tit.  2:13  R.  V. 
"God  blessed  forever,"  Rom.  9:5;  and  "Son  of  God,"  Matt.  3: 
17;  John  3:16;  Rom.  8:32.  Five  times  he  is  named  the  "only 
begotten  Son,"  and  in  Luke  22:70  he  himself  admitted  that 
he  was  the  Son  of  God.  Christ  is  called  "Lord  of  all,"  Acts  10: 
36,  and  "Lord  of  glory,"  (1  Cor.  2:8.  compared  with  Ps.  24: 
8-10). 

(b)  Divine  attributes  are  ascribed  to  him.  His  eternity 
is  mentioned  in  Isa.  9:6,  where  he  is  called  "everlasting 
Father";  and  in  John  8:  58,  "before  Abraham  was  born,  I  am," 
(Compare  John  1:1);  omnipresence  is  named  in  Matt.  18:20; 
28:20  and  John  1:49;  omnipotence  in  Rev.  1:8;  omniscience 
in  John  2:  25  and  Rev.  2:  23;  and  immutability  in  Heb.  13:  8. 

(c)  Divine  works  are  attributed  to  the  Son,  that  is,  such 
as  only  a  divine  Person  can  perform.  The  Bible  mentions 
creating  as  such;  John  1:3;  Coll.  1:6.  In  John  5:17  Jesus 
stated:  "My  Father  worketh  until  now,  and  I  work,"  evi- 
dently referring  to  the  work  of  Providence.  Redemption  is 
attributed  to  Christ  in  Eph.  1:7  and  1  Cor.  1:30;  power  to 
forgive  sins,  Mark.  2:5-10;  preservation,  John  10:28  and  Heb. 
1:3;  quickening  the  dead,  John  5:21,  22;  and  glorification, 
Phil.  3:20,  21. 

(d)  Divine  honor  is  claimed  for  the  Son  in  the  baptismal 


THE  NATURES  OF  THE  MEDIATOR  95 

formula,  Matt.  28:19,  and  in  the  apostolic  benediction,  2  Cor. 
13: 13,  in  which  the  names  of  Father  and  Son  are  coupled  to- 
gether as  co-equal.  Heb.  1:6  brings  the  command:  "let  all 
the  angels  of  God  worship  him."  (Compare  Ps.  45:11.) 
John  5:  23  tells  us:  "that  all  may  honor  the  Son,  even  as  they 
honor  the  Father.  He  that  honoreth  not  the  Son  honoi'eth  not 
the  Father  which  sent  him."  Rev.  1 :  4-6  also  mentions  Christ 
as  co-equal  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit:  "Grace  to 
you  and  peace,  from  him  which  is  and  which  was  and  which 
is  to  come;  and  from  the  seven  Spirits  which  are  before  his 
throne;  and  from  Jesus  Christ  who  is  the  faithful  witness, 
the  firstborn  of  the  dead  and  the  ruler  of  the  kings  of  the 
earth.  Unto  him  that  loveth  us  and  loosed  us  from  our  sins 
by  his  blood;  and  he  made  us  to  be  a  kingdom,  to  be  priests 
unto  his  God  and  Father;  to  him  be  the  glory  and  the  do- 
minion for  ever  and  ever.    Amen." 

In  the  Apostles'  Creed  the  name  only  begotten  Son  is  used. 
This  is  taken  from  John  1:14,  18:  "And  the  Word  became 
flesh  and  dwelt  among  us  (and  we  hebeld  his  glory,  glory  as 
of  the  only  begotten  from  the  Father),  full  of  grace  and 
truth No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time;  the  only  be- 
gotten Son,  who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  de- 
clared him."  This  means  that  he  is  the  only  and  eternal  Son 
of  God,  of  the  same  essence,  (co-essential  with  the  Father  and 
the  Holy  Spirit,  as  well  as  co-eternal  with  them.  He  did  not  be- 
come Son  of  God  in  course  of  time,  but  was  such  from  eter- 
nity, through  what  is  termed  generation,  and  consequently 
partaking  of  the  same  divine  nature  as  the  Father.  This  is 
beyond  our  comprehension,  but  plainly  involved  in  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Bible  concerning  the  Godhead  of  the  Son  (Chap- 
ter X.)  Believers  are  also  called  "sons"  of  God,  but  only 
through  adoption.  Gal.  4:5.  Their  sonship  ditfers  in  time, 
essence  and  manner  of  becoming,  fi'om  the  Sonship  of  Christ. 

Arians  denied  the  co-eternal  and  co-essential  Godhead  of 
the  Son,  claiming  that  there  was  a  time  when  the  personality 
of  our  Lord  did  not  exist.  They  considered  him  a  created  be- 
ing, although  the  most  important  of  God's  creation.  Russellites 
follow  the  Arians  in  this  respect.  They  base  their  asser- 
tions on  Coll.  1 :  15,  which  speaks  of  Christ  as  the  first  born 
of  all  creation";  Coll.  1:18:     "first  born  of  the  dead";  and 


96  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

Rev.  1:15:  "the  beginning  of  the  creation  of  God."  But 
these  texts  certainly  cannot  set  at  naught  all  the  other  plain 
texts  which  prove  the  co-eternal  and  co-essential  Godhead 
of  the  Son,  as  mentioned  above.  In  the  texts  just  quoted 
"first  born"  must  evidently  be  taken  in  the  Jewish  sense  with 
which  Paul  and  the  people  of  Collosse  were  familiar:  viz.^ 
the  first  one  of  the  family  as  to  dignity,  the  head  and  ruler. 
The  word  "beginning"  (Greek:  arche),  signifies  the  head,  ori- 
gin and  source.  Taken  in  this  sense  the  quotations  rather 
strengthen  than  weaken  the  assertion  of  the  Church  of  God 
of  all  ages  that  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God,  the  partaker  of  the 
divine  nature,  such  as  no  human  being  nor  angel  can  ever  be 
said  to  be.  Therefore  Paul  in  1  Cor.  2:  8  calls  him  "the  Lord 
of  glory,"  taken  from  Ps.  24:8-10.  Other  plain  texts  are  the 
following: 

Tit.  2:13:  "Looking  for  the  blessed  hope  and  appearing 
of  our  great  God  and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ." 

Ps.  2:7:  "Jehovah  said  unto  me:  Thou  art  my  Son;  this 
day  have  I  begotten  thee."  (Heb.  1:5;  Isa.  9:  6;  40:  3;  John  1: 
34;  3:16.) 

The  Apostles'  Creed  also  confesses  the  Son  of  God  to  be 
our  LORD.  He  is  thus  called  because  he  bought  his  people 
with  his  own  blood,  delivers  them  from  the  power  of  the  devil, 
and  thus  becomes  their  owner  and  sovereign,  1  Cor.  6:  19,  20. 
Moreover,  the  Father  had  given  him  his  people  in  the  Cove- 
nant of  Redemption  and  he  as  the  Son,  is  "Heir  of  all  things." 
Ps.  2:8;  Heb.  1:2.  (For  the  Covenant  of  Redemption  see 
Chapter  XXL,  §2.) 

11.  The  human  nature  of  Christ  is  mentioned  next  in  the 
Apostles'  Creed.  Following  this,  the  Compendium  speaks 
first  of  the  conception  and  birth  of  our  Lord,  then  of  the  rela- 
tion between  the  two  natures,  and  finally  of  the  sinlessness  of 
Christ. 

1)  That  our  Lord  possessed  a  human  nature  and  had  to 
have  one  to  be  our  Mediator  has  been  shown  in  Chapter  VI. 
His  conception,  by  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  an  im- 
portant part  of  our  christian  faith.  Upon  it  hinges  very 
largely  the  question  of  his  being  our  divine  Savior.  To  be 
such,  the  Son  of  God  had  to  enter  upon  human  existence  in  a 
special   manner.     And,  thanks  be  to  the  Lord  of  sovereign 


THE  NATURES  OF  THE  MEDIATOR  97 

grace,  the  incarnation  of  our. Christ  did  not  take  place  in  an 
ordinary  way.  The  Bible  accounts  of  Matt.  1: 18  and  Luke  1: 
26-35,  plainly  show  this.  Moreover,  our  Lord  could  not  be  be- 
gotten as  an  ordinary  child  because  he  was  already  existing 
as  "the  first  born  of  all  creation,"  Col.  1 :  15,  and  "the  begin- 
ning of  the  creation  of  God,"  Rev.  1 :  15.  Besides  this,  the 
Savior  should  not  be  generated  as  an  ordinary  child  since  he 
had  to  be  kept  free  from  original  sin.  (Chapter  VI.)  Bearer 
of  our  sin  is  our  personality,  our  "ego"  or  "I,"  (Compare 
Chapter  XL)  Divine  intervention  was  necessary  in  the  con- 
ception of  the  Mediator  that  his  personality  should  not  be  a 
human  one,  since  all  human  persons  were  comprehended  in ' 
the  Covenant  of  Works  and  tainted  with  original  sin  as  a 
result  of  Adam's  breaking  of  the  Covenant,  as  told  in  Chap- 
ter V.  It  was  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  which  in  the 
fulness  of  time  brought  this  about  as  told  to  Mary  by  the 
angel,  Luke  1:35:  "The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee, 
and  the  power  of  the  Most  High  shall  overshadow  thee: 
wherefore  also  that  which  is  to  be  born  shall  be  called  holy, 
the  Son  of  God."  (Compare  Heb.  10:5.)  This  plain  Bible 
teaching  is  entirely  contrary  to  the  heretical  statement  of 
"Christian  Science,"  that  the  virgin  mother  conceived  the 
idea  of  God  and  gave  to  her  ideal  the  name  of  Jesus.  Accord- 
ing to  the  Word  of  God  it  was  the  Second  Person  of  the  Holy 
Trinity  who  was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  assume  the 
human  nature. 

2)  The  birth  of  our  Savior  is  related  in  detail  in  the  gos- 
pels. "Born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,"  is  the  statement  of  the 
Apostles'  Creed.  While  conceived  in  an  extraordinary  way, 
our  Lord  came  into  the  world  as  an  ordinary  child,  although 
signs  of  heavenly  interest  were  not  lacking.  (Luke  2:1-20.) 
The  birth  of  the  Virgin  Mary  was  in  fulfillment  of  ancient 
prophecy  and  promise  that  the  Redeemer  should  be  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah  and  the  House  of  David.  Gen.  49: 10-12;  Ps.  132: 
17;  Luke  1:69;  3:23;  3:31;  Matt.  1:1,  6,  16;  Heb.  7:14.  Christ 
became  man,  that  is,  he  assumed  a  complete  human  nature, 
consisting  of  body  and  soul.  We  therefore  reject  the  teach- 
ing of  Apollinaris,  a  bishop  of  Laodicea,  (f  390),  who  taught 
that  in  the  Savior  the  Logos  or  Word,  John  1:1,  that  is  the 
divine  Person  of  Christ,  had  taken  the  place  of  the  ordinary 
human  spirit.     Such  a  doctrine  would  involve  that  our  Sub- 


98  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


stitute  had  not  assumed  a  complete  human  nature,  something 
which,  however,  was  absolutely  necessary  if  he  were  to  be 
our  Mediator  and  Substitute.     (Chapter  VI,) 

3)  The  relation  existing  between  his  original  divine 
nature  and  his  assumed  human  nature  has  been  a  subject  of 
much  discussion,  especially  in  the  early  centuries  of  the 
Christian  Church.  "Is  his  Godhead  changed  into  humanity?" 
Compendium  asks.  And  the  Biblical  answer  is:  "No;  for 
Godhead  is  immutable."  (Compare  Chapter  IX,  on  the  Attri- 
butes of  God.)  And  the  next  answ^er  informs  us  that  Christ's 
becoming  man  took  place  by  his  "assuming  the  human  nature 
into  a  personal  union  with  his  divine."  To  understand  this 
we  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  "ego"  or  personality  in  our 
Lord  was  not  a  human  one  as  in  us.  His  personality  or 
Person  was  that  of  the  Son  of  God,  the  Second  Person  of  the 
Holy  Trinity.  This  divine  Person  assumed  a  complete  human 
nature,  consisting  of  a  human  body  and  a  human  soul.  But 
he  did  not  assume  a  human  "ego"  or  person.  That  was  the 
error  of  the  Nestorians,  who  practically  taught  that  we  had  a 
double  Savior.  The  followers  of  Eutychus  fell  into  the  oppo- 
site extreme  by  teaching  that  in  our  Lord  the  human  nature 
was  so  thoroughly  absorbed  in  the  divine  that  not  alone  his 
soul,  but  even  his  body  was  ditferent  from  the  ordinary  hu- 
man body.  Both  these  views  were  condemned  by  the  Council 
of  Chalcedon,  451,  which  expressed  the  orthodox  faith  as 
follows: 

"We,  then,  following  the  Holy  Fathers,  all  with  one  con- 
sent, teach  men  to  confess  one  and  the  same  Son,  our  Lord, 
Jesus  ('hrist,  the  same  perfect  in  Godhead,  and  also  perfect 
in  manhood,  truly  God  and  truly  man,  of  a  rational  soul  and 
body;  co-essential  with  the  Father  according  to  the  Godhead, 
and  consubstantial  with  us  according  to  the  manhood;  in  all 
things  like  unto  us,  without  sin;  begotten  before  all  ages  of  the 
Father  according  to  the  Godhead,  and  in  these  latter  days,  for 
us  and  for  our  salvation,  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  the  Mother 
of  God  according  to  the  manhood;  one  and  the  same  Christ, 
Son,  Lord,  Only  begotten,  to  be  acknowledged  in  two  natures, 
inconfusedly,  unchangeably,  indivisibly,  inseparably;  the  dis- 
tinction of  natures  being  by  no  means  taken  away  by  the 
union,  but  rather  the  property  of  each  nature  being  pre- 
served, and  concurring  in  one  Person  and  one  Subsistence,  not 
parted  or  divided  into  two  persons,  but  one  and  the  same  Son, 
and  Only  begotten,  God  the  Word,  the  Lord  .lesus  Christ;  as 


THE  NATURES  OF  THE  MEDIATOR  99 

the  prophets  from  the  beginning  have  declared  concerning 
him,  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  himself  has  taught  us,  and  the 
Creed  of  the  Holy  Fathers  has  handed  down  to  us."  (Com- 
pare Art.  XIX.  of  the  Confession.) 

In  the  days  of  the  Reformation  the  Anabaptists  (Weder- 
doopers),  forerunners  of  the  present  Baptists,  taught  that  our 
Lord  had  not  assumed  his  human  body  of  the  flesh  and  blood 
of  Mary,  but  had  brought  it  from  heaven,  as  Q.  28  of  the 
Compendium  reminds.  This  was  done  in  order  to  keep  the 
Christ  free  from  the  taint  of  sin  as  it  was  considered  to  cling 
to  flesh  and  blood.  But  it  assailed  the  true  humanity  of  our 
Savior  and  is  therefore  condemned  as  a  heresy  in  Art.  XVIII. 
of  the  Confession: 

Of  the  Incarnation  of  Jesus  Christ. 

"We  confess,  therefore,  that  God  did  fulfill  the  promise, 
which  he  made  to  the  fathers,  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy 
prophets,  when  he  sent  into  the  world,  at  the  time  appointed 
by  him,  his  own,  only  begotten  and  eternal  Son,  who  took 
upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  became  like  unto  man, 
really  assuming  the  true  human  nature,  with  all  its  intirmi- 
ties,  sin  excepted,  being  conceived  in  the  womb  of  the  blessed 
Virgin  Mary,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  without  the 
means  of  man.  And  did  not  only  assume  human  nature  as  to 
the  body,  but  also  a  true  human  soul,  that  he  might  be  a  real 
man.  For  since  the  soul  was  lost  as  well  as  the  body,  it  was 
necessary  that  he  should  take  both  upon  him,  to  save  both. 
Therefore  we  confess  (in  opposition  to  the  heresy  of  the  Ana- 
baptists, who  deny  that  Christ  assumed  human  flesh  of  his 
mother)  that  Christ  is  become  a  partaker  of  the  flesh  and 
blood  of  the  children;  that  he  is  a  fruit  of  the  loins  of  David 
after  the  flesh;  made  of  the  seed  of  David  according  to  the 
flesh;  a  fruit  of  the  womb  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  made  of  a  wo- 
man; a  branch  of  David;  a  shoot  of  the  root  of  Jesse;  sprung 
from  the  tribe  of  Judah;  descended  from  the  Jews  according 
to  the  flesh:  of  the  seed  of  Abraham,  since  he  took  on  him  the 
seed  of  Abraham,  and  became  like  unto  his  brethren  in  all 
things,  sin  excepted,  so  that  in  truth  he  is  our  IMMANUEL, 
that  is  to  say,  God  with  us." 

4)  The  sinlessness  of  the  Lord  is  mentioned  specifically 
in  the  Compendium.  The  Nestorians  denied  this,  claiming 
that  Christ  could  sin.  Onh'  by  his  moral  exertion  and  con- 
tinual striving  against  sin,  he  kept  himself  free  from  it.  He 
was  sinless  not  by  virtue  of  his  sinless  Being,  but  because  he 
had  acquired  it  through  a  holy  life.  Many  of  those  who  hold 
the  views  of  the  Modern   or  New  Theology   teach  this  Xes- 


100  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

torian  error.  It  is  brought  out  especially  in  connection  with 
the  temptation  of  our  Lord,  Matt.  4:1-11.  But  the  Word  of 
God  plainly  teaches  the  sinlessness  or  impeccability  of  our 
Mediator.  As  a  divine  Person  he  was  sinless  from  eternity 
since  God  cannot  sin.  It  would  be  contrary  to  his  own  Essence. 
The  conception  by  the  Holy  Ghost  kept  Christ  free  from  orig- 
inal sin  at  his  incarnation.  Actual  sin  was  never  found  in 
him,— the  Lamb  without  blemish,  Acts  3:14;  2  Cor.  5:21; 
1  Peter  1:19;  2:22;  1  John  2:1;  3:5. 

"God  with  us!  oh,  glorious  name! 
Let  it  shine  in  endless  faiiie; 
God  and  man  in  Christ  unite; 
Oh,  mysterious  depth  and  height ! 
God  with  us!  the  eternal  Son 
Took  our  soul,  our  flesh,  our  bone; 
God  with  us;  but  tainted  not 
With  the  first  transgressor's  blot! 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  What  is  the  usual  method  followed  to  prove  the  divinity  of  the  Second 

Person  of  the  Holy  Trinity? 

2  Why  is  Christ  called  the  "only  begotten  Son  of  God"? 

3  Why  is  our  Savior  called   "Lord"? 

■i  What  can  you  say  of  the  way  Christ  received  his  human  nature? 

5  What  do  you  believe  about  the  birth  of  Christ? 

6  What  did  ApoUinaris  teach  ?bout  the  Lord's  human  nature? 

7  What  was  the  error  of  the  Nestorians  and   of  Eutychus? 

8  Which  Council  set  forth  the  relation  of  Christ's  natures? 

9  What   does   the    Church   of   God   hold    concerning   the   relation   existing 

between  the  two  natures  of  Christ? 

10  What  did  the  Anabaptis-ts  believe  regarding  the  way  Christ  assumed  his 

human  nature? 

11  Is  the  sinlessness  of  the  Savior  an  important  truth?     Why? 

12  What  should  be  our  prayer  concerning  this  Christ  with  his  two  natures? 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


CHRIST'S    NAMES    AND    OFFICES.      THE    ATONEMENT. 


Q.  29     Why  is  he  called  josas,  that  is,  Savior? 

A.  Because  he  saves  his  people  from  their  sins. 

Q.   30      Is  there  no  other  Savior? 

A.  No;  for  there  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among 

men,    whereby   we    must    be    saved,    than    in   the    name    of 

Jesus,  Acts  4:  12. 
Q.   31     Why  is  he  called  Christ,  that  is,  Anointed? 
A.  Because  he  was  anoi  ted  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  ordained 

by  God  the  Father,  to  be  our  chief  Prophet,  our  only  High 

Priest,  and  our  eternal  King. 

After  discussing  the  Savior's  two  natures,  we  are  to 
study  the  names  he  bears,  and  the  three  offices  he  fills,  those 
of  prophet,  priest  and  king.  In  connection  with  the  priestly 
office  we  shall  pay  particular  attention  to  Christ's  work  of 
Atonement. 

I.  The  Names  of  the  Mediator.  Our  Savior  has  a  great 
number  of  names  given  to  him  in  Holy  Writ  and  each  of  them 
reveals  something  glorious  and  beautiful  about  his  character 
and  value  for  us  sinners.  He  is  called  the  Last  Adam,  our 
Advocate,  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  Amen,  the  Author  and 
Finisher  of  our  faith,  the  blessed  and  only  Potentate,  Captain 
of  our  salvation.  Chief  Cornerstone,  Chief  Shepherd,  Day- 
spring,  Desire  of  the  Nations,  Faithful  Witness,  First  and  Last, 
Good  Shepherd,  Governor,  Horn  of  salvation,  the  Lamb  of  God, 
the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  Morning  Star,  the  Prince  of 
Peace  and  Prince  of  Life,  the  Sun  of  Righteousness,  and 
many  other  blessed  names  and  titles  are  attributed  to  him. 
Two  names,  however,  are  his  chief  names.  They  are  JESUS 
and  CHRIST.  The  first  is  his  personal  name.  The  second  his 
official  name,  that  is,  pertaining  to  his  offices. 

1)  The  name  JESUS  was  given  him  according  to  the 
direction  of  the  angel.  Matt.  1:  21:  "for  it  is  he  that  shall  save 
his  people  from  their  sin."  Two  Old  Testament  saints  bore 
this  name  as  his  types:  Joshua,  the  son  of  Nun,  who  brought 
God's  people  into  Canaan,  and  Joshua,  the  high  priest  of  the 
return  from  the  captivity.  Christ  brings  us  into  the  heavenly 
Canaan  and  is  our  High  Priest  who  ministers  in  the  Taber- 


102 


THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


nacle  above.  The  meaning  of  Jesus  is  Savior,  because  he 
saves.  This  word  always  presupposes  some  great  danger, 
which  exposes  us  to  some  calamity.  Jesus  saves  us  from 
the  great  danger  of  being  lost.  He  saves  us  from  the  greatest 
evil — sin  and  its  results.  He  does  even  more.  He  makes  us 
partakers  of  the  highest  good,  salvation  and  all  which  that  en- 
tails, for  time  and  eternity.  His  work  is  not  alone  negative, 
but  also  positive. 

Th«re  is  no  other  Savior  but  Jesus,  (Q.  30).  This  we 
maintain  over  against  the  orthodox  Jews  (Chapter  I.),  who 
still  look  for  another  Messiah.  We  can  point  them  to  the 
prophecies  in  their  own  Old  Testament,  which  he  so  strikingly 
fulfdled,  such  as  Micah  5:2;  Gen.  12:3;  49:8,  10;  2  Sara.  7: 
16;  Dan.  7:14;  Zech.  9:9;  Isa.  7:14;  and  Chap.  53.  The  Old 
Testament  saints  were  saved  bv  looking  to  him,  2  Sam.  23:  3-5; 
Acts  15:11. 

But  this  we  also  proclaim  in  the  face  of  the  world  which 
is  ever  seeking  to  invent  other  ways  than  those  which  free 
grace  designed.  The  following  reasons  may  serve  to  strengthen 
our  faith  in  the  Messiahship  of  our  Savior: 

1)  The   testimony    of   those   who   knew   him   best, — his 
disciples. 

2)  The  conversion  and  life  of  Paul. 

3)  The  testimony  of  his  enemies,  men  and  devils. 

4)  The  testimony  of  angels. 

5)  The  testimony  of  the  Father. 

6)  His  own  consciousness  and  declarations. 

7)  His  sinless  life. 

8)  His  sublime  convincing  teaching. 

9)  His  works,  especially  his  miracles,  his  atonement  on 
the  cross,  his  resurrection. 

10)  The  origin  of  the  Christian  Church. 

11)  The  continuance  of  the  Church. 

12)  His  intluence  upon  men  throughout  the  ages.  He 
humbles  those  lifted  up,  lifts  up  those  who  are  low, 
and  renews  into  his  image  all  who  obey  what  he 
himself  gave  as  the  great  test  of  his  mission:  "If 
any  man  willeth  to  do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the 
teachings,  whether  it  is  of  God,  or  whether  I  speak 
from  myself."    John  7: 17. 


CHRIST'S  NAMES,  OFFICES,  ATONEMENT  103 

2)  CHRIST  is  the  second  name  of  the  Redeemer,  a  name 
of  Greek  origin  and  signifying  "anointed,"  The  Hebrew  word 
corresponding  to  this  is  Messiah.  During  the  Old  Testament 
three  kinds  of  officebearers  of  Israel  were  anointed  with  the 
holy  oil,  Ex.  30:23-25.  They  were  the  priests.  Lev.  8: 12;  the 
kings,  1  Sam.  10:  1;  and  prophets,  1  Kings  19:  16.  This  anoint- 
ing signifies  two  things:  ordaining  for  the  office  to  be  filled, 
that  is:  setting  aside,  and  qualifying,  that  is:  enabling  to  per- 
form the  task.  The  ordaining,  the  first  part  of  Christ's  anoint- 
ing, took  place  before  the  world  was,  Ps.  110:4;  Prov.  8:23; 
1  Peter  1 :  20.  Then  he  was  "set  aside"  to  be  the  great  Medi- 
ator between  God  and  man,  he  the  Son  of  God,  who  in  the 
fulness  of  time  was  to  assume  human  nature.  The  qualifying 
that  is  equipping,  of  that  human  nature  for  all  the  redeeming 
work  Christ  was  to  undertake,  took  place  in  the  course  of 
time,  when  the  Holy  Ghost  "prepared  a  body"  for  him, 
(Heb.  10:5),  and  during  the  development  of  his  human 
nature,  (Luke  2:40),  but  especially  at  the  time  of  his  bap- 
tism. Matt.  3: 16.  Not  with  literal  oil,  however,  was  Christ 
anointed,  but  with  that  which  the  oil  had  typified, — the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  that  abundantly,  Ps.  45:7;  Heb.  1:!).  Let  us  ad- 
mire this  provision  of  our  God  that  gave  us  such  a  thoroughly 
equipped  Redeemer,  and  let  us  be  sure  that  we  seek  our  all  in 
this  Christ. 

II.  Christ's  Offices.  Three  offices  have  been  and  are  held 
by  our  Lord — those  of  prophet,  priest  and  king.  In  the  Old 
Testament  times  these  offices  were  never  united  in  one  per- 
son. Melchizedek  and  David  held  two;  Melchizedek  being 
both  priest  and  king  and  David  both  prophet  and  king.  God 
did  not  permit  any  to  hold  all  three  because  no  one  was  able 
to  properly  represent  the  Coming  One  in  all  his  offices,  (Com- 
pare 1  Sam.  13:  9,  13).  But  in  Christ  they  were  united.  That 
was  necessary  to  be  our  Savior.  As  such  he  had  to  proclaim 
salvation,  (prophet);  to  merit  it,  (priest);  and  to  apply  it, 
(king).  This  three-fold  office  was  also  necessitated  because 
the  first  Adam,  whom  Christ  was  to  succeed  as  Substitute,  had 
been  a  prophet  to  know  God,  a  priest  to  sacrifice  his  life  and 
service  to  God,  and  a  king  to  subdue  and  rule  the  world  as 
God's  vice-regent.  Again  our  Lord  had  to  fill  three  offices 
because  he  had  been  foreshadowed  as  such  by  Israel's  proph- 


104  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

ets,  priests  and  kings.  Moreover,  this  was  necessary  because 
of  the  fact  of  sin.  Sin  had  darkened  our  mind.  We  needed 
a  prophet  to  ilkiraine  us.  It  had  rendered  us  guilty, — a  priest 
was  recjuired  to  atone.  It  had  become  a  hostile  power  within 
us  and  around  us — we  were  in  need  of  a  king  to  combat  and 
conquer  this.  The  restoration  of  the  image  of  God,  knowl- 
edge, righteousness,  and  holiness,  (Chapter  III.),  required  the 
work  of  a  prophet  to  give  us  new  knowledge,  a  priest  to  make 
us  righteous,  and  a  king  to  render  us  holy.  And  the  reach- 
ing of  the  purpose  of  our  creation  also  involved  this  three- 
fold office — to  know,  to  love  and  to  obey  God. 

Each  of  these  offices  was  duly  confirmed  and  emblazoned 
by  miracles.  There  were  prophetical  wonders,  to  confirm 
Christ's  teaching — such  as  healing  the  paralytic  to  show  that 
he  could  pardon  sin,  and  curing  the  blind  to  symbolize  that  he 
gives  spiritual  sight  to  the  spiritual  blind.  Priestly  wonders 
were  those  which  manifested  Jesus'  pity,  such  as  works  of 
healing.  The  royal  wonders  were  to  show  his  power  as  King, 
such  as  raising  the  dead  and  stilling  the  storm.  These  won- 
ders proclaimed  the  character  of  his  mission  remarkably 
plainly,  especially  as  compared  to  those  wrought  by  Moses. 
Moses'  ministry  was  in  some  sense,  one  of  death  and  punish- 
ment. His  first  miracle  was  that  of  turning  water  into 
blood,  and  other  signs  of  his  hand  were  of  a  similar  character. 
But  the  first  recorded  miracle  of  our  Lord  showed  him  to  be 
a  minister  of  life  and  blessing — he  turned  water  into  wine! 
And  throughout  the  working  of  his  wonders  and  signs,  he 
showed  all  manner  of  love  to  save  and  not  to  destroy,  to  bless 
and  not  to  punish.  Glory  be  to  God  for  this  method  of  show- 
ing his  power  and  of  confirming  his  message. 

1.  The  prophetical  office.  That  the  Savior  was  to  be  a 
prophet  was  foretold  by  Moses  in  Deut.  18: 15.  It  was  typi- 
fied by  the  God-called  prophets  of  Israel.  Jesus  bore  witness 
to  his  prophetical  work  in  Luke  4:17-21  and  John  4:25,  26. 
Prophets  are  not  ordinary  servants  of  God  but  his  special  am- 
bassadors enabled  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  perform  their  task, 
viz.,  to  reveal  God's  will  and  to  instruct  the  people.  A  prophet 
is  the  mouth  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  express  the  thoughts  of 
God  toward  mankind.  1  Cor.  2:7-10.  He  is  a  "seer"  who 
has  looked  into  the  counsel  of  the  Almighty  and  has  been 


CHRIST'S  NAMES,  OFFICES,  ATONEMENT  105 

authorized  to  declare  it,  2  Sam.  23:2.  The  main  work  of  a 
prophet  is  to  teach.  This  sometimes  includes  foretelling 
things,  and  at  times  the  perfoiming  of  miracles.  Elijah  and 
Elisha  are  the  great  Old  Testament  types  of  our  Lord  as  well 
as  Moses.  The  ministers  of  the  Church  of  the  New  Testament 
are  prophets  insofar  as  they  are  teachers  of  the  Word  of 
God,  Eph.  4:11;  Isa.  30:20.  Jesus  is  the  chief  prophet  who 
taught,  prophesied  and  wrought  miracles  as  no  other  of  his 
ambassadors.  In  the  following  respects  he  has  been  active 
as  our  chief  prophet,  superior  to  all  who  ever  bore  the  name. 

1)  In  the  revealing  of  God's  counsel  to  the  prophets  of 
old.    He  was  their  source  of  revelation,  1  Peter  1: 11. 

2)  In  causing  the  Bible  to  be  written,  1  Peter  1:  10,  11; 
John  16:13. 

3)  In  his  actual  dealings  with  Israel  of  old.  Much  of 
the  history  of  the  Old  Testament  Covenant  people  was  evi- 
dently spiritual  in  significance,  such  as  their  departure  from 
Egypt,  their  wanderings,  and  their  conquest  of  Canaan. 

4)  In  the  Law-giving  from  Sinai  the  Christ  was  involved 
as  the  Angel  of  Jehovah,  Acts  7:  38,  53;  Gal.  3: 19. 

5)  By  means  of  the  types  and  ceremonies  of  the  Old 
Testament  worship  Christ  taught  his  people. 

6)  His  personal  appearance  in  the  flesh  was  prophetical. 
He  was  the  Word  of  God  itself  as  well  as  Messenger  of  the 
Covenant.    Wlio  beheld  him,  beheld  the  Father,  John  12:  45. 

7)  His  miracles  were  full  of  instruction.  "Enacted  par- 
ables" they  have  been  termed. 

8)  Christ  is  also  the  prophet  who  enables  his  ministers 
to  bring  forth  things  new  and  old  out  of  the  Word  of  God, 
and  through  them  he  still  speaks  to  his  people,  Luke  10: 16. 

9)  He  was  and  is  a  prophet  who  through  his  Word  and 
Spirit  shines  in  the  hearts  and  minds  of  the  heirs  of  salvation, 
so  that  they  personally  become  enlightened  to  be  wise  unto 
salvation,  2  Cor.  4:  6. 

The  contents  of  the  prophetical  revelation  of  Christ  are 
both  Law  and  Gospel.  Christ  has  not  given  us  a  new  Law 
as  a  second  Moses,  as  the  Socinians  have  taught.  Neither  has 
he  abolished  the  Law  as  the  Antinomians  claim.  But  he  has 
explained  the  Law^  in  its  highest  and  deepest  meaning,  Matt.  5. 


106  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


Christ  is  the  end  of  prophecy,  in  the  sense  that  all  God's  coun- 
sel has  been  revealed  by  him  insofar  as  we  need  to  know  it 
in  this  life.  This  is  embodied  in  the  Bible,  so  that  we  reject 
the  views  of  those  who  speak  of  the  need  of  tradition  and  of 
continuous  revelation.  John  1 :  9,  speaking  of  Christ  as  the 
Light  "which  enlighteneth  every  man  coming  into  the  world," 
plainly  shows  that  the  work  of  the  Christ  as  the  Word  of  God 
reaches  beyond  the  domain  of  particular  grace  into  that  of 
common  grace,  (see  Chapter  XV,  II.).  For  the  possession  and 
use  of  our  reason,  as  well  as  for  art  and  literature  and  science, 
we  are  indebted  to  our  Lord  as  the  great  Prophet,  more  than 
the  blind  world  is  aware  of.  May  he  teach  all  of  us  person- 
ally!    Have  we  any  evidence  that 

"The  night  has  gone. 
And  day  eternal  has  begun 
Within  our  clouded  soul?" 

II.  The  priestly  office.  It  is  not  sufficient  for  us  sinners 
to  know  God.  We  have  other  needs  besides  having  our  minds 
enlightened.  We  have  sin  to  be  atoned;  we  have  many  peti- 
tions to  present  at  the  Throne  of  grace;  we  need  to  be  blessed 
with  the  choicest  favors  of  God,  for  time  and  for  eternity.  It 
was  because  of  this  that  Christ  is  a  priest  as  well  as  a  prophet. 
As  such  he  was  promised  likewise  in  the  O.  T.  Ps.  110:4: 
"Jehovah  hath  sworn  and  will  not  repent:  thou  art  a  priest 
forever,  after  the  order  of  Melchizedek."*  The  labors  of  a 
priest  in  the  Old  Testament  days  were  three-fold — to  sacri- 
fice, to  pray  and  to  bless.  Lev.  4:20;  Joel  2:  17,  18;  Num.  6: 
24-26.  Christ  is  our  High  Priest  who  performs  these  labors 
for  his  Church  in  a  unique  w^ay  such  as  no  others  could.  He 
also  offered  sacrifices,  he  prays,  and  he  blesses. 

1)  As  to  the  sacrificial  part  of  Jesus'  work,  he  has  of- 
fered himself,  Heb.  7:  2(5-28:  "For  such  a  High  Priest  became 
us,  holy,  guileless,  undefiled,  separated  from  sinners,  and 
made  higher  than  the  heavens;  who  needeth  not  daily  like 
those  high  priests,  to  offer  up  sacrifices,  first  for  his  own 
sins,  and  then  for  the  sins  of  the  people:  for  this  he  did  once 
for  all,  when  he  offered  up  himself.     For  the  law  appointeth 


*  Melchizedek  represented  Christ  as  the  exalted  priest,  royal  and  eter- 
nal, (Heb.  7:  1).  Aaron  was  a  type  of  our  Lord  in  his  priestly  work  of  rec- 
onciliation in  the  state  of  humiliation. 


CHRIST'S  NAMES,  OFFICES,  ATONEMENT  107 

men  high  priests,  having  infirmity;  but  the  word  of  the  oath, 
which  was  after  the  law,  appoinleth  a  Son,  perfected  for- 
evermore." 

Our  Lord  could  "once  for  all,"  that  is,  for  all  time,  offer 
sufficient  sacrifice  because  his  human  nature,  undefiled,  was 
supported  by  his  divine  nature  which  gave  it  not  alone  the 
needed  support,  but  lent  infinite  value  to  the  merits  as  well. 
(Compare  Chapter  VI.) 

Christ  is  our  only  High  Priest.  We  therefore  reject  the 
Roman  Catholic  doctrine  that  ministers  of  the  gospel  are  still 
"priests"  because  they  are  in  Mass  offering  up  a  "bloodless 
repetition  of  the  sacrifice  of  Calvary!"     (Chapter  XXIV.) 

This  leads  us  to  discuss  the  all-important  topic  of  the 
ATONEMENT.  Different  terms  are  used  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment to  express  the  self-sacrifice  of  Christ.  Several  times 
the  word  "ransom"  is  used,  suggesting  that  we  were  prison- 
ers, sold  under  sin,  captives,  slaves,  and  people  sentenced  to 
death.  Matt.  20:28;  1  Peter  1:18;  1  Tim.  2:6;  Gal.  .3:16; 
Lev.  25:47-49. 

Propitiation  is  used  in  Rom.  3:  25;  1  John  2:2;  Heb.  2: 17. 
It  suggests  "covering." 

Reconciliation  is  the  same  in  meaning  as  atonement.  It 
indicates  reniDval  of  estrangement  and  enmity,  so  that  at- 
one-ment  takes  place.  Rom.  5:11  R.  V.  compared  to  A.  V. 
Rom.  5: 10;  Eph.  2: 16.  Our  Savior  was  our  sacrifice  because 
he  had  become  our  substitute.  It  was  because  Jesus  was  our 
human-divine,  God-ordained,  God-anointed  Substitute,  that 
satisfaction  could  be  brought  about.  That  word  expresses 
the  plainest  what  was  brought  about  by  the  substitutionary 
sacrifice  of  our  great  and  only  High  Priest.  Our  Confession 
states  the  following  about  it: 

Art.  XX.     That  God  hath  manifested  his  justice  and  mercy 
in  Christ. 

"We  believe  that  God,  who  is  perfectly  merciful  and  just, 
sent  his  Son  to  assume  that  nature,  in  which  the  disobedience 
was  committed,  to  make  satisfaction  in  the  same,  and  to  bear 
the  punishment  of  sin  by  his  most  bitter  passion  and  death. 
God  therefore  manifested  his  justice  against  his  Son,  when  he 
laid  our  iniquities  upon  him;  and  poured  forth  his  mercy  and 
goodness  on  us,  who  were  guilt\  and  worthy  of  damnation, 
out  of  mere  and  perfect  love,  giving  his  Son  unto  death  for 
us,  and  raising  him  for  our  justification,  that  through  him 
we  might  obtain  immortality  and  life  eternal." 


108  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

Art.  XXI:     Of  the  satisfaction  of  Christ,  our  only  High  Priest, 

for  us. 
"We  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  is  ordained  with  an  oath 
to  be  an  everlasting  High  Priest,  after  the  order  of  Melchize- 
dec;  who  hath  presented  himself  in  our  behalf  before  his 
Father,  to  appease  his  wrath  by  his  full  satisfaction,  by  offer- 
ing himself  on  the  tree  of  the  cross,  and  pouring  out  his  pre- 
cious blood  to  purge  away  our  sins;  as  the  prophets  had  fore- 
told. For  it  is  written,  'He  was  wounded  for  our  transgres- 
sions, he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities:  the  chastisement  of 
our  peace  was  upon  him,  and  with  his  stripes  we  are  healed. 
He  was  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and  numbered 
with  the  transgressors;'  and  condemned  by  Pontius  Pilate  as 
a  malefactor,  though  he  had  first  declared  him  innocent. 
Therefore,  'he  restored  that  which  he  took  not  away,  and  suf- 
fered, the  just  for  the  unjust,'  as  well  in  his  body  as  soul, 
feeling  the  terrible  punishment  which  our  sins  had  merited; 
insomuch  'that  his  sweat  became  like  unto  drops  of  blood 
falling  on  the  ground.'  He  called  out,  'My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me?'  And  hath  suffered  all  this  for  the 
remission  of  our  sins.  Wherefore  we  justly  say  with  the 
apostle  Paul,  "that  we  know  nothing,  but  Jesus  Christ,  and 
him  crucified;  we  count  all  things  but  loss  and  dung  for  the 
excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord:'  in 
whose  wounds  we  find  all  manner  of  consolation.  Neither  is 
it  necessary  to  seek  or  invent  any  other  means  of  being  rec- 
onciled to  God,  than  this  only  sacrifice,  once  offered,  by 
which  believers  are  made  perfect  forever.  This  is  also  the 
reason  why  he  was  called  by  the  angel  of  God,  JESUS,  that 
is  to  say,  SAVIOR,  because  he  should  save  his  people  from 
their  sins." 

This  satisfaction  was  rendered  by  the  obedience  of  our 
Savior.  We  speak  of  his  two-fold  obedience,  active  and  pass- 
ive. The  active  obedience  of  Christ  included  all  he  per- 
formed to  keep  the  Law  of  God  perfectly  and  in  the  place  of 
his  people,  to  gain  the  reward  promised:  eternal  life  for 
those  represented  in  him,  as  God  gave  a  similar  i)romise  to 
the  first  Adam  as  the  head  of  the  Covenant  of  Works.  The 
passive  obedience  of  Jesus  refers  to  all  he  suffered  in  the 
place  of  his  people  to  pay  for  their  sin  and  its  awful  results. 
The  efifects  of  the  sacrificing  work  of  our  Mediator  was  that 
he  caused  all  God's  excellencies  to  shine  forth — his  love  and 
mercy  toward  his  people,  but  also  his  justice  and  his  indig- 
nation against  sin.  It  covered  all  our  guilt,  it  satisfied  the 
demands  of  God's  justice;  it  secured  the  salvation  of  God's 
people;  it  opened  up  the  fountains  of  God's  love,  choked  as  it 


CHRIST'S  NAMES,  OFFICES.  ATONEMENT  109 

were  by  our  sin.  The  main  part  of  the  atonement  was  not  to 
reconcile  men  to  God  in  the  sense  of  removing  our  enmity 
towards  God,  as  many  hold  in  our  days,  but  that  God  might 
be  reconciled  to  men,  by  having  the  demands  of  his  holiness 
and  righteousness  satisfied  and  his  truth  aflBrmed.  Christ  did 
not  die  to  furnish  a  moral  example  to  soften  our  heart  and 
help  us  to  reform  ourselves  as  some  teach.  Nor  do  we  be- 
lieve in  the  governmental  theory  which  claims  that  God  in 
the  death  of  Christ  exemplified  how  much  he  hated  sin.  to 
make  us  realize  that  he  was  indeed  the  moral  Governor  of 
the  world  who  maintained  his  laws  at  any  cost.  We  do  not 
even  accept  the  "love  of  God  theory,"  which  teaches  that 
Christ  died  to  show  us  how  much  God  loved  us.  And  we  re- 
ject emphatically  the  statement  of  "Christian  Science"  that 
"the  material  blood  of  Jesus  was  no  more  eflBcacious  to 
cleanse  from  sin  when  it  was  shed  upon  the  accursed  tree 
than  when  it  was  flowing  through  his  veins,"  since  the  Bible 
represents  the  shedding  of  the  blood  as  the  very  climax  of 
Jesus'  obedience,  Phil.  2:8,  and  everywhere  exalts  the  blood 
of  the  Lord  as  "precious,"  since  it  stood  for  his  life  in  its 
substitutionary  obedience  to  the  utmost.  (Compare  Chap- 
ter VI.) 

The  extent  of  the  Atonement.  Calvinists  believe  in  a  lim- 
ited atonement,  therein  differing  from  the  Arminians,  or,  as 
they  are  usually  called  in  Dutch  Church  History,  the  Remon- 
strants. The  Arminians  claim  Christ  "died  for  all"  in  the 
sense  of  satisfying  for  all  and  making  redemption  possible 
for  every  sinner.  Wliether  or  not  one  is  to  be  actually  saved 
depends  upon  the  exercise  of  his  free  will.  "God  cannot  save 
a  sinner,"  they  have  claimed,  "unless  he  willingly  opens  the 
door  of  his  heart  to  God  as  he  stands  and  knocks."  The  dif- 
ference between  the  Calvinists  and  the  Arminians  is  not  as 
to  the  sufficiency  and  value  of  the  Atonement,  as  some  enemies 
of  our  faith  have  represented  it.  When  it  comes  to  the  suf- 
ficiency and  value,  we  do  not  stand  back  of  any  in  magnify- 
ing the  power  of  the  blood  but  confess  in  Canon  II.,  Art.  3: 
"the  death  of  the  Son  of  God  is  of  infinite  worth  and  value, 
abundantly  sufficient  to  expiate  the  sins  of  the  whole  world." 
The  great  difference  between  the  Arminians  and  us  is  two- 
fold, viz.,  about  the  contents  and  about  the  design  of  the 
Atonement. 


110  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


(a)  About  the  contents  of  the  Atonement  we  believe  that 
Christ  has  done  more  for  his  people  than  rendering  salvation 
possible.  We  hold  that  he  not  mereh  merited  access  to  God 
and  to  heaven  for  us,  but  also  earned  grace  to  bring  us  there. 
In  other  words,  he  did  not  simpl>  merit  atonement  for  us, 
but  also  grace  to  apply  the  atonement  to  our  heart.  This 
was  necessary  because  we  have  no  free  will  to  accept,  totally 
depraved  as  we  are.  (Compare  Chapter  III.)  The  Scriptures 
everywhere  combine  the  meriting  of  salvation  with  its  appli- 
cation. Rom.  5:  10;  8:  32.  The  Arrainian,  while  seemingly 
magnifying  the  Atonement  with  its  claim:  "Christ  for  all," 
in  reality  impoverishes  its  contents! 

(b)  About  the  design  of  the  Atonement  is  our  next  point 
of  difference  with  the  Arminians.  They  claim  Christ's  death 
was  intended  to  redeem  all  who  fell  in  Adam.  We  hold  that 
the  Lord  died  with  the  purpose  of  redeeming  those  who  were 
given  to  him  by  his  Father,  John  17:2,  in  the  Covenant  of 
Redemption,  (Chapter  XIX.).  This  is  named  Limited  Atone- 
ment, while  the  doctrine  of  the  Arminians  is  called  General 
Atonement.  The  Scriptures  plainly  teach  the  limited  charac- 
ter of  the  Atonement  of  Christ  insofar  as  its  design  is  con- 
cerned, since  they  declare  that  the  Lord  gave  his  life  for  his 
sheep,  John  10:  11;  for  his  Church,  Acts  20:  28;  for  his  Body, 
Eph.  5:23;  for  his  brethren,  Heb.  2:  11;  for  his  seed,  Isa.  53: 
10;  for  the  children  of  God,  John  11:52.  Moreover,  we  claim 
that  the  use  of  the  word  "many"  in  Matt.  26:28,  Isa.  53:12 
and  Matt.  20:28,  clearly  is  not  synonymous  with  the  word 
"all."  For  that  matter  even  the  Arminians  somewhat  limit  the 
"all,"  since  they  as  a  rule  except  those  who  sinned  against  the 
Holy  Ghost  as  well  as  the  fallen  angels.  Jesus'  Intercessory 
Prayer  in  John  17:  9  expressly  states  that  he  did  not  pray  for 
the  world,  but  for  those  given  him,  and  this  intercession  was 
part  of  his  work  as  our  Redeemer.  Resides  this,  the  repre- 
sentation of  the  Rible  that  the  believers  form  a  body,  plainly 
presupposes  the  limited  design  of  the  Satisfaction  of  our 
Lord.  A  "body,"  with  head  and  members,  cannot  be  enlarged 
at  will.  The  limited  character  of  the  atoning  work  of  Christ 
also  follows  with  logical  necessit>  from  the  biblical  doctrine 
of  Election,  Chapter  XVII.  Let  us,  even  though  it  be  not  a 
"fashionable"  nor  a  "popular"  doctrine  in  our  land  and  in  our 


CHRIST'S  NAMES,  OFFICES,  ATONEMENT  111 

day,  hold  to  the  Limited  Atonement  here  defended.  It  is  thor- 
oughly biblical.  Moreover,  the  General  Atonement  view, 
while  ostensibly  magnifying  the  fulness  of  God's  grace,  is 
not  alone  actually  impoverishing  the  contents  of  Redemption, 
as  already  mentioned  above,  but  it  also  practically  dethrones 
God  as  Sovereign,  since  not  he  decides  as  to  who  shall  people 
his  Mansions  above,  but  a  sinful  worm  of  dust,  by  the  exer- 
cise of  his  so-called  "free  will."  In  fact,  the  Arminian  view 
jeopardizes  the  whole  result  of  the  work  of  the  Redeemer. 
What  if  no  human  being  should  have  been  pleased  to  use  his 
"free  will"  to  accept  the  Ransom?  Finally,  let  us  bear  in 
mind  that  the  General  Atonement  view  is  apt  to  delude  souls 
for  eternity,  since  there  is  danger  that  some,  without  any  real 
change  of  heart  and  simply  through  historical  faith  just  build 
on  the  assertion:  "Christ  died  for  all,  and  consecjuenth  for 
me  also."  May  none  of  us  rest  until  we  know  that  Jesus  shed 
his  blood,  not  alone  for  others,  but  also  for  us  personally! 

Those  who  believe  in  unlimited  atonement  base  their  as- 
sertions on  the  general  offer  of  the  gospel,  on  texts  which 
declare  that  Christ  died  for  the  world,  and  on  some  instances 
of  people  for  whom  Christ  is  said  to  have  died,  while  they 
"perished."  We  reply  that  the  gospel  offer  is  universal  not 
because  it  actually  assures  every  one  unconditionally  that 
Christ  died  for  him,  but  it  is  much  rather  a  gracious  offer  of 
salvation,  a  command  to  believe,  and  an  assurance  that  who- 
soever comes  in  the  God-appointed  way — of  repentance  and 
of  faith — shall  not  perish  but  have  everlasting  life.  The  ex- 
pression "world"  clearh  indicates  sometimes  the  world  of 
the  heathen  as  opposed  to  the  Jewish  nation,  sometimes  the 
cosmos  or  universe,  but  nowhere  every  individual  without 
exception.  That  the  Lord  is  said  to  have  died  for  some  who 
perished  later,  Rom.  14: 15;  1  Cor.  8: 11;  2  Peter  2:1;  Heb.  10: 
29,  refers  evidently  to  those  who  "perished"  only  so  far  as 
their  fellowshipping  with  the  saints  was  concerned,  but  not 
in  the  sense  of  being  damned.  Those  who  did  actually  per- 
ish must  have  been  either  hypocrites  or  temporary  believers, 
for  the  doctrine  of  the  limited  atonement,  in  connection  wuth 
the  perseverance  of  the  saints,  (Lesson  XXV),  is  so  plainly 
and  abundantly  taught  in  the  Word  of  God,  that  one  or  two 
texts  or  examples  which  seem  to  teach  the  contrary,  must  of 
necessity  be  explained  in  harmony  with  the  plain  teaching  of 


112  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

the  Bible  in  the  great  majority  of  texts  and  examples.     (Read 
Canon  II.  of  the  Canons  of  Dordrecht.) 

2)  On  p.  106  the  statement  was  made  that  a  priest  not  alone 
sacrificed  but  also  prayed.  The  praying  of  our  Lord  is  called 
the  Intercession  of  Christ  as  our  priest,  the  second  part  of  his 
work  as  such.  It  signifies  his  appearing  in  behalf  of  his  people 
before  his  Father  with  the  claim  that  the  promises  in  their 
favor  made  to  himself  as  their  representative,  be  fulfilled.  Heb. 
9:  24;  7:  25.  It  was  typified  by  the  appearance  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment High  Priest  in  the  temple  on  the  Day  of  Atonement, 
with  live  coals,  incense  and  blood.  Lev.  16;  23:26-32;  Num. 
19:  7-11,  compared  to  Heb.  9: 1-12;  24-28.  It  may  be  defined  as 
the  constant  and  gracious  will  of  the  Savior  before  God  the 
Father,  by  which  he  continually  presents  to  him  his  merits 
and  satisfaction  and  the  persons  and  sacrifices  of  all  his  peo- 
ple— that  God  may  accept  them  and  apply  all  merits  of  Christ 
to  them.  Before  the  incarnation  Christ  interceded  for  his 
people,  Isa.  63:9;  Zech.  1:  12,  as  well  as  during  his  life  on 
earth,  John  17;  Luke  22:31,  32;  Heb.  5:7;  and  since  then  in 
heaven  as  the  Advocate  of  his  people,  1  John  2:1,  to  "appear 
before  the  face  of  God  for  us,"  Heb.  9:  24.  As  our  sins  come 
up  constantly  before  God's  face,  and  as  in  God  constantly 
works  a  holy  impulse  to  punish  sin,  Christ  presents  his  merits 
as  our  Surety  to  his  Father,  that  for  his  sake  our  sin  may 
be  pardoned,  and  that  we  may  be  adopted  and  treated  as 
God's  children.  The  intercession  also  includes  the  purifica- 
tion and  acceptance  of  the  prayers  of  the  believers.  Rev.  8:  3. 
The  intercession  is  authoritative,  John  17:24;  prevailing, 
John  11:  42;  and  continual,  Heb.  7:  25. 

Christ  intercedes  only  for  those  given  him  to  be  redeemed 
and  for  whom  he  gave  himself  as  a  sacrifice.  Rom.  8:  32,  34; 
John  17:9,  20.  They  are  benefitted  by  this  intercession  both 
before  and  after  their  conversion.  Before  their  conversion 
Christ  seeks  and  secures  for  them  access  to  the  means  of 
grace,  so  far  as  may  be  necessary  for  their  salvation,  Rom. 
10: 14,  15,  16;  he  provides  that  they  shall  not  die  in  their  sin, 
John  8:21,  but  in  due  season  obtain  saving  grace,  Ps.  32:6. 
The  benefits  received  after  conversion  are  those  of  support, 
guidance  and  protection,  Luke  22:  32;  John  17:  20,  21;  Rom.  8: 
34.    At  death  believers  obtain  by  means  of  Christ's  interces- 


CHRIST'S  NAMES,  OFFICES,  ATONEMENT  113 

sion,  victory  over  death  and  entrance  into  glory.  John  17:24; 
Phil.  1 :  21,  23.  Let  us  thank  God  that  our  Lord  (Heb.  7:  24  25) : 
"because  he  abideth  forever,  hath  his  priesthood  unchange- 
able. Wherefore  also  he  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  them 
that  draw  near  unto  God  through  him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth 
to  make  intercession  for  them."  Read  Art.  XXVL  of  the  Con- 
fession. 

3)  The  blessing  of  the  High  Priest  of  our  faith  is  men- 
tioned in  Luke  24:50,  when  Christ  at  the  time  of  his  Ascen- 
sion "lifted  up  his  hands  and  blessed  them,"  and  explained  in 
Eph.  1:3  and  4:8. 

"Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
who   hath   blessed   us   with   every   spiritual   blessing   in   the 

heavenly  places  in   Christ Wherefore  he  saith.  when 

he  ascended  on  high,  he  led  caiJtivity  captive,  and  gave  gifts 
unto  men." 

IIL  The  third  office  of  Christ  is  his  kingly  office.  He 
must  not  alone  teach  us  to  be  saved,  and  sacrifice  himself  for 
us  and  bless  and  pray,  but  he  must  also  lead  and  govern  us. 
Therefore  we  find  him  predicted  as  King  in  Ps.  2:  6,  and  pre- 
figured as  such  by  David  and  Solomon.  But  the  kingdom  of 
our  Lord  is  not  of  the  earth  earthy,  based  on  brute  force.  It 
is  spiritual,  it  is  in  the  world,  but  not  of  it.  The  work  of 
Christ  as  king  is  fourfold,  viz.,  to  gather  his  Church,  to  rule 
it,  to  protect  it  and  to  perfect  it,  through  his  Word  and  Spirit, 
Ps.  119: 18;  Acts  2:  33;  John  16:  7-14;  1  Cor.  2: 12-14.  He  will 
overwhelm  with  shame  and  defeat  all  who  are  his  and  his 
people's  inveterate  enemies.  1  Cor.  15:25,  27.  We  distin- 
guish between  the  essential  kingdom  of  Christ  and  his  media- 
torial kingdom.  His  essential  kingdom  is  his  Rule  in  com- 
mon with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  divine  Sov- 
ereign of  the  universe.  This  is  original,  being  his  by  virtue 
of  his  Godhead.  The  mediatorial  kingdom  of  our  Lord  is 
given  him,  as  reward  of  his  obedience  and  suffering.  Phil.  2: 
7-11.  It  is  all-comprehensive.  Christ  now  directs  the  whole 
course  of  Providence.  Matt.  28:8.  This  is  called  his  king- 
dom of  power.  His  kingdom  of  grace  is  his  dominion  over 
the  hearts  of  his  people,  both  the  individual,  John  10:  3,  and 
the  Church  as  a  whole.  Matt.  28:  19,  20.  At  the  end  of  time  all 
the  true  believers  shall  be  gathered  out   of  the  world  and 


114  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


Christ  shall  reign  absolutely  over  them  and  completely  in 
them,  Rev.  22:  3,  4.  This  is  the  Kingdom  of  glory.  As  head  of 
this  our  Lord  will  be  our  eternal  king,  as  the  Compendium 
states.  But  the  kingdom  of  power  will  at  the  consummation 
of  things  be  turned  over  to  the  Father,  1  Cor.  15:24-28. 

The  effects  of  Christ's  mediatorial  rule  are  that  his  people 
are  defended  against  their  foes,  Acts  18:!).  10,  enabled  to 
derive  spiritual  blessings  from  the  whole  course  of  Provi- 
dence, 1  Thess.  5:  18,  so  that  afflictions,  even  though  they  be 
consequences  of  their  sins,  can  be  turned  to  their  profit, 
2  Cor.  4: 17,  and  death  becomes  to  them  no  longer  the  penalty 
of  sin,  but  the  gate  to  glory,  2  Cor.  5:  8,  and  at  last  they  shall 
be  more  than  conquerors  through  him  that  loved  them,  Rom. 
8:  37.  A  true  christian  is  one  who  personally  partakes  of  this 
anointing  of  our  Lord  to  become  a  prophet,  priest  and  king 
to  God  in  his  own  sphere.  May  our  daily  petition  be  that 
this  blessed  Redeemer  in  his  three-fold  office  become  our  per- 
sonal Teacher,  the  One  who  sacrifices  and  pra\  s  for  us,  and 
blesses  and  rules  us  ever  more,  and  that  we,  through  his 
anointing  grace,  ma\  live  and  labor  as  christian  prophets, 
priests  and  kings  to  the  glory  of  the  Name  and  the  coming  of 
the  Kingdom  of  our  God. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  What  does  the  name  Jesus  signify? 

2  Can  you  prove  that  Christ  is  the  true  Messiah  and  Savior? 

3  What  does  the  name  Christ  signify? 

i  What  two  things  are  included  in  his  '  'anointing' '  ? 

5  Why  does  Jesus  hold  THREE  offices — those  of  prophet,  priest  and  king 

— no  more  and  no  less? 

6  Mention  some  of  Christ's  activities  as  prophet. 

7  Why  is  Christ  called  the  "end  of  prophecy"? 

8  Why  is  Christ  called  the  Light  enlightening  every  man? 

9  Describe  the  labors  of  a  priest. 

10  What  can  you  say  about  the  sacrificial  part  of  Jesus'  work  as  priest? 

11  Which  terms  are  used  to  express  the  Lord's  self-sacrifice? 

12  What  is  meant  by  the  "satisfaction"  Christ  brought  about? 

13  What  is  meant  by  his  active  and  his  passive  obedience? 
li  What  is  the  extent  of  his  atonement? 

15  Which  are  the  contents  of  the  atonement? 

16  What  was  the  design  of  the  atonement? 

17  What  is  the  intercessory  work  of  Christ  as  priest? 

18  What  is  included  in  Christ's  work  of  blessing? 

19  What  can  you  say  about  Christ's  office  as  king? 

20  Why  are  believers  called  "Christians"? 


CHAPTER    XIV. 


THE  STATES  OF  THE  MEDIATOR. 


Q.  32     What  then  hath  Jesus  Christ  done  to  save  us? 
A.  He  has  suffered  for   us,   was   crucified   and   died,   was   buried 

and  descended  into  hell;  that  is,  he  suffered  the  torments 
of  hell,  and  thus  became  obedient  to  his  Father,  that  he 
might  deliver  us  from  the  temporal  and  eternal  punishment 
due  to  sin. 

In  which  nature  hath  he  suffered  this? 

Only  in  his  human  nature,  that  is,  in  soul  and  body. 

What  hath  then  his  Godhead  contributed  thereto? 

His  Godhead,  by  its  power,  in  such  wise  strengthened  the  as- 
sumed human  nature,  that  it  could  bear  the  burden  of  God's 
wrath  against  sin,  and  deliver  us  from  it. 

Did  Christ  then  remain  under  the  power  of  death? 

No;  but  he  rose  from  the  dead  the  third  day  for  our  justifica- 
tion.    Rom.  i:  25. 

Where  is  Christ  now,  as  to  his  human  nature? 

He  is  ascended  into  heaven,  and  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  God 
the  Father;  that  is,  exalted  in  the  highest  glory,  far  above 
all  creatures.     Eph.  1:  20,  21. 

To  what  end  is  he  there  so  highly  exalted? 

Particularly  that  he  might  from  thence  govern  his  Church,  and 
there  be  our  intercessor  with  the  Father. 
Q.   38      Is  he  not  with  us  then  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world,  as  he 

hath  promised  us?     Matt.  28:  20. 
A.       With  respect  to  his  Godhead,   majesty,   crace   and   spirit,   he  is 
never  absent  from  us;  but  with  respect  to  his  human  nature, 
he  remains  in  heaven,   until  he  shall  come  again  to  judge 
the  quick  and  the  dead. 

Our  Mediator  must  not  alone  be  known  in  his  Natures, 
Names  and  Offices,  but  also  in  his  States.  A  "State"  here  sig- 
nifies one's  status  or  relation  to  the  law.  One  may  be  in  ac- 
cord with  it  and  consequently  he  is  righteous.  Or  one  may  be 
out  of  harmony  with  it.  That  renders  him  guilty.  On  this 
state  before  the  law  depends  one's  condition.  The  one  guilty 
before  the  law  is  in  a  condition  of  misery;  the  righteous  one 
is  apt  to  be  happy.  \Mien  we  speak  of  the  States  of  our  Lord 
we  distinguish  betw'een  two  states.  The  one  was  his  state  of 
humiliation  wherein  he  as  our  Surety  stood  guilty  before  the 


Q. 

33 

A. 

Q. 

34 

A. 

Q. 

35 

A. 

Q- 

36 

A. 

Q. 

37 

A. 

116  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

law  and  was  subject  to  misery.  The  other  is  his  state  of  exal- 
tation wherein  he  is  righteous  and  consequently  glorious  and 
blessed.  Of  this  state  of  Humiliation  the  Compendium  treats 
in  Q.  32-34;  of  the  state  of  Exaltation,  Q.  35-38. 

I.  In  the  state  of  Humiliation  we  distinguish  between 
five  steps  or  degrees,  also  called  stages:  1)  the  ^lediator's 
humble  Birth;  2)  his  Suffering;  3)  his  Death;  4)  his  Burial; 
and  5)  his  Descent  into  hell. 

1)  The  humble  Birth  of  Jesus  is  his  first  step  or  degree 
of  humiliation.  It  brought  him  in  a  state  of  humiliation.  It 
was  the  beginning  of  his  condition  of  misery,  and  it  involved 
assuming  the  human  nature,  not  as  he  possesses  it  at  present, 
in  a  glorious  fashion,  but  in  its  sin-degraded  condition.  While 
he  assumed  a  sinless  nature,  his  nature  as  he  assumed  it  was 
"in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,"  Rom.  8:3,  yea,  as  Paul  says, 
Phil.  2:7:  "He  emptied  himself,  taking  the  form  of  a  ser- 
vant." Such  was  indeed  humiliating  for  One  who  existed  in 
the  form  of  God,  who  was  blessed  forever  from  all  eternity. 
Let  us  admire  the  wonderful  condescension  of  the  Son  of 
God  to  become  like  unto  his  brethren  in  all  things,  sin 
excepted. 

2)  The  SuflFering  of  our  Lord  lasted  all  the  days  of  his 
life  and  was  especially  severe  at  the  end  of  his  ministry.  His 
poverty  at  birth,  his  circumcision,  the  flight  into  Egypt,  the 
temptation  in  the  desert,  the  enduring  of  hatred,  scorn,  perse- 
cution, rejection  from  the  side  of  his  nation,  the  betrayal  of 
Judas,  the  denial  of  Peter,  the  very  fact  of  his  dwelling  in  a 
sin-blighted  world,  among  a  crooked  and  perverse  generation, 
all  was  a  cause  of  intense  suffering  to  the  Lamb  without 
blemish.  But  especially  what  took  place  during  the  so-called 
Passion  Week,  particularly  in  Gethsemane,  and  on  Good  Fri- 
day, till  the  moment  of  his  death,  constituted  the  suffering  of 
our  Substitute.  For  as  such  he  underwent  it  all.  His  suffer- 
ing was  vicarious — in  our  place.  It  was  bearing  the  anger  of 
God  against  sin.    It  was  bearing  the  sins  of  many. 

This  suffering  took  place  in  the  human  nature  of  our 
Lord,  that  is,  in  soul  and  body.  The  Godhead  cannot  suffer, 
and  did  not  suffer  b>  virtue  of  its  immutability.  What  the 
divine  nature  did  in  this  suffering  is  expressed  in  the  Com- 
pendium as  "in  such  wise  strengthening  the  assumed  human 


THE  STATES  OF  THE   MEDIATOR  117 

nature  that  it  could  bear  the  burden  of  God's  wrath  against 
sin,  and  deliver  us  from  it."  It  also  lent  infinite  value  to  the 
merits  obtained  b>  the  passion  of  our  Redeemer.  The  Apostles' 
Creed  states  thai  this  took  place  under  Pontius  Pilate.  This 
governor  of  the  Homan  province  of  Judea  represented  the  na- 
tion which  developed  human  law  as  no  other  nation.  And 
several  times  this  representative  declared  Christ  innocent,  that 
we  might  have  the  more  certainty  of  his  being  unblameable. 
But  at  length  Pilate  condemned  Jesus  to  death — for  the  sake 
of  those  who  accused  him,  and  released  Barabbas,  so  that  he 
sufTered  as  our  Substitute,  that  we  might  never  be  condemned 
before  God,  whose  representative  Pilate  was,  Rom.  13:  4.  Al- 
though Pilate  may  not  have  realized  it,  through  this  Roman 
governor  God  himself  condenmed  Christ,  that  we  might  be 
freed  from  the  severe  judgment  of  God  upon  us.  (Held.  Cat., 
Q.  38.) 

3)  The  Lord's  Death  by  crucifixion  is  the  third  degree  of 
his  humiliation.  This  mode  of  putting  our  Lord  to  death  in- 
volved shedding  of  his  precious  blood  as  the  plainest  proof 
of  his  obedience  even  unto  the  pouring  out  of  his  life-blood. 
It  was  very  humiliating,  since  only  the  vilest  criminals  were 
crucified,  and  this  had  to  take  place  since  our  sin  had  rendered 
us  unspeakably  vile  before  a  holy  God.  It  was  extremely 
painful,  filling  with  lingering,  intolerable  agony,  and  this  was 
necessary  because  we  had  merited  the  most  excruciating  pains 
of  hell.  It  was  accursed,  Deut.  21 :  23,  the  one  crucified  being 
suspended  and  perishing  between  heaven  and  earth,  as  an 
outcast.  This  was  needed  because  we  had  become  outcasts, 
laden  with  the  curse  of  sin,  the  curse  of  a  broken  law,  Gal.  3: 
13.  "With  such  a  humiliating  death  our  Surety  bore  the  shame 
of  sin,  with  its  painfulness,  its  misery,  and  with  the  accursed 
death  the  curse  of  sin." — (Prof.  ^Y.  Heyns.) 

This  death  of  Christ  was  a  voluntary  laying  down  of  his 
life,  and  not  simply  something  to  which  he  had  to  submit  as 
in  the  case  of  human  beings.  John  10:17;  Eph.  5:2.  It  was 
substitutionary  death — in  the  place  of  his  people  for  whom 
death  has  become  deprived  of  its  sting.  It  was  a  satisfying 
and  atoning  death — meeting  all  the  demands  of  the  Judge  of 
the  world,  whose  law  had  been  broken  by  the  first  Adam, 
and  who  poured  out  on  the  last  Adam  all  the  indignation  of 
his  holy  and  righteous  nature. 


118  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

4)  The  Burial  of  our  Lord  was  a  proof  of  his  being  really 
dead,  since  the  capital  punishment  meted  out  to  him,  in- 
cluded due  ascertaining  that  he  had  actually  died,  Mark  15:  44. 
It  was  also  to  fulfill  the  striking  prophecy  of  Isaiah  that  his 
grave  was  "made,"  i.e.  planned  to  be,  "with  the  wicked,"  in  the 
ordinary  place  of  burial  of  the  criminal  dead,  but  through 
God's  remarkable  providence  he  was  "with  the  rich  in  his 
death."  It  was  a  part  of  his  humiliation,  since  his  grave  was 
as  it  were  a  monument  of  human  guilt,  as  every  tomb  is,  a 
proof  of  oiir  degraded  condition.  Moreover,  Christ  was 
buried  to  rob  the  grave  of  its  terror  for  God's  people,  and  to 
proclaim  that  he  had  made  an  end  to  the  Jewish  ceremonial 
laws.  And  it  was  another  token  that  he  had  humbled  him- 
self at  the  deepest,  allowing  his  precious  body  to  be  entombed 
as  if  he  were  a  sinner,  although  here  also  the  difference  be- 
tween him  and  us  w'as  that  no  corruption  disintegrated  his 
body  as  in  our  case  after  burial.    Acts  2:27,  31. 

5)  The  Descent  into  hell  is  named  the  last  step  of  humil- 
iation. The  original  meaning  of  this  article  of  the  Apostles' 
Creed  seems  to  have  been  the  same  as  buried,  since  the  Creed 
of  Nicea  only  mentions  "buried,"  and  that  of  Athanasius  only 
"descended  into  hell."  The  Roman  Catholics  take  it  to  signify 
that  Christ  after  his  death,  went  to  the  "limbus  Patrum"  so- 
called,  (a  department  of  Hades  or  Sheol  where  the  believing 
fathers  of  the  Old  Testament  were  said  to  be  confined),  in 
order  to  convey  them  heavenward.  Lutherans  believe  Christ 
descended  into  hell  literally  to  show  himself  there  triumphant 
over  his  foes.  Others  hold  that  he  went  to  Hades  to  preach 
to  the  dead,  that  those  lost  before  the  Flood  might  have  op- 
portunity to  hear  the  gospel.  (Compare  1  Peter  3:19;  4:6.) 
But  the  Bible  plainly  tells  us  that  Christ's  soul  was  not  in  hell 
while  his  body  was  in  the  grave,  but  in  heaven,  in  Paradise,  in 
the  hands  of  his  Father.  Luke  23:43,  46.  The  Reformed 
Churches  explain  this  descent  into  hell  as  signifying  that  our 
Lord  suffered  hellish  agonies  in  his  soul,  especially  at  the 
end  of  his  earthly  life,  as  expressed  in  Ps.  110:  3,  where  great 
sorrow  is  called:  pains  of  hell.  The  order  of  the  articles  is 
suggestive  of  the  order  of  the  way  wherein  we  would  suffer 
if  it  were  not  for  our  Substitute:  first  death,  then  burial,  and 
finally — the  agonies  of  hell. 

Let  us  greatly  appreciate  that  our  Lord  went  through  this 


THE  STATES  OF  THE    MEDIATOR  119 

all.  For  it  is  indeed  as  the  Compendium  states:  he  "thus  be- 
came obedient  to  his  heavenly  Father  that  he  might  deliver  us 
from  the  temporal  and  eternal  punishment  due  to  sin." 

II.  In  the  state  of  Exaltation  we  distinguish  between 
four  steps  or  degrees:  1)  the  Mediator's  Resurrection; 
2)  his  Ascension;  3)  his  Sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God;  and 
4)  his  Return  or  Second  Coming. 

1)  The  Resurrection.  That  our  Lord  did  not  remain  in 
the  power  of  death  is  abundantly  testified  to  in  the  Word  of 
God.  It  is  a  ver>  important  part  of  our  christian  faith,  1  Cor. 
15:  14-18.  It  was  heralded  by  an  earthquake.  Angels  made  it 
known.  It  involved  the  restoration  of  his  wounded,  lacerated 
body,  its  reunion  with  the  human  soul,  and  finally  his  trium- 
phant coming  forth  out  of  the  tomb.  The  value  of  the  resur- 
rection is  very  great. 

It  proved  that  Christ  had  overcome  death. 

It  showed  that  his  work  had  been  acceptable  to  his  Father. 

It  was  an  arising  for  our  justification,  Rom.  4:  25. 

It  showed  that  he  had  power  as  well  as  authority  to 
raise  his  people  up  to  a  new  life. 

It  is  the  pledge  of  the  blessed  resurrection  of  all  who  are 
united  with  him,  Rom.  6:  5. 

It  was  openly  declared  by  this  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God 
with  power.    Rom.  1:4. 

It  was  a  convincing  proof  that  God  is  faithful  to  his  prom- 
ise. He  did  not  leave  his  Holy  One  to  see  corruption,  Psalm 
16:10;  Acts  2:27;  13:35. 

It  assures  us  of  the  truth  of  the  Christian  religion.  The 
founders  of  other  so-called  religions,  (compare  Chapter  I.), 
have  remained  dead  till  this  day. 

Satan  knowing  the  great  importance  of  the  resurrection 
of  our  Lord  has  not  failed  to  try  to  assail  this  Waterloo  of  the 
devil  and  this  Gibraltar  of  Christianity!  Some  claimed  Jesus 
had  only  been  in  a  faint;  others  ascribed  the  testimony  of  the 
Apostles  to  his  resurrection  as  due  to  hallucination,  or  the 
outcome  of  a  deception  planned  by  the  disciples.  New  Theol- 
ogy calls  it  resurrection  only  in  a  ligurative  sense,  as  we  speak 
of  "kind  words  never  dying,"  etc. 


120  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

Christian  Science  assures  us:  Christ  never  died.  Hence 
his  resurrection  is  termed  "ascending  thought."  Russellism 
dares  to  suggest  that  the  body  of  our  Lord  "perhaps  was  dis- 
solved into  gases."  But  all  of  these  heretical  views  are  found 
to  be  nothing  but  the  vain  imaginings  of  the  carnal  mind  and 
are  utterly  unreliable.  Even  the  enemies  are  unwilling  wit- 
nesses in  favor  of  the  resurrection — think  of  the  bribed 
watchers  at  the  grave.  The  New  Testament  mentions  the  fact 
of  the  resurrection  not  less  than  104  times.  And  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Church  of  Christ,  the  conversion  of  numberless 
men  and  women,  the  triumphant  progress  of  the  Kingdom,  all 
proclaims:  "The  Lord  is  risen  indeed!"  May  we  believe  it 
personally,  for  our  faith  is  not  of  the  right  kind  if  we  do  not 
believe  in  the  heart  that  God  raised  Christ  from  the  dead. 
Rom.  10:9. 

2)  The  Ascension  of  Jesus  took  place  fortj  days  after 
his  resurrection.  It  was  a  true,  visible  and  local  departure  of 
the  Mediator.  The  Lutherans  speak  of  it  as  a  change  in  his 
human  nature  whereby  it  became  omnipresent,  partaking  of 
the  nature  of  the  everywhere  divinity.  But  the  Bible  calls  it 
a  leaving  of  the  world,  John  16:28,  a  "going  to  the  Father," 
clearly  indicating  a  change  in  place.  It  involves  various  bless- 
ings such  as  entering  into  heaven  with  the  blood  of  the  atone- 
ment, a  becoming  of  our  Advocate,  a  sure  pledge  of  our  own 
ascension,  and  the  means  of  sending  the  Holy  Spirit  on  Pente- 
cost, ten  days  after  the  Ascension. 

3)  The  Sitting  at  the  Right  Hand  of  God  is  the  third  de- 
gree of  the  Exaltation.  It  signifies  that  our  Lord  was  put  in 
the  place  of  honor  as  the  seating  at  the  right  hand  of  an 
earthly  monarch  symbolized  such  in  olden  times.  It  also 
means  that  Christ  received  great  power  and  dominion  as  a 
revv'ard  for  his  suffering,  as  already  mentioned  in  speaking  of 
his  Kingdom  of  Power,  in  the  previous  chapter.  The  fact  of 
his  sitting  at  the  right  hand  was  also  to  demonstrate  himself 
as  the  glorious  Head  of  his  Church  who  prays  for  us  and 
blesses  us  from  thence  with  all  manner  of  heavenly  favors, 
and  thus  perfects  his  work,  Heb.  10: 12,  13.  And,  while  he  is 
absent  from  us  bodily,  with  respect  to  his  Godhead,  grace  and 
Spirit,  he  is  with  us  all  the  days  according  to  his  promise, 
Matt.  28:20. 


THE  STATES  OF  THE    MEDIATOR  121 

4)  The  last  step  of  the  Exaltation  of  our  Mediator  is  yet 
to  come.  It  is  his  Return  at  his  Second  Coming  to  judge  the 
quick  and  the  dead  at  the  General  Resurrection  at  the  end  of 
the  ages.    See  Chapter  XVII. 

The  doctrine  of  the  states  of  our  Lord  should  lead  us  to 
seek  assurance  that  Christ  was  humbled  and  raised  for  us 
personally.     Have  we  that  assurance  already? 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  What  Is  meant  by  a  "State"  as  applied  to  Christ? 

2  How  many  steps  or  degrees  belong  to  Christ's  state  of  humiliation  and 

which  are  they? 

3  What  can  you  say  about  the  humble  birth  of  our  Lord? 

4  What  can  you  tell  about  Christ's  suffering? 

5  In  what  nature  did  the  Savior  suffer? 

6  Why  does  the  Apostles'  Creed  mention  Pontius  Pilate? 

7  Describe  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus  and  its  features. 

8  How    many    steps    or    degrees    belong    to    Christ's    state    of    Exaltation 

and  which  are  they? 

9  What  can  you  say  about  the  meaning  and  value  of  Christ's  resurrection? 

10  What  is  the  character  and  importance  of  the  ascension? 

11  What  is  meant  by  Christ's  sitting  at  the  right  hand  of  God? 

12  What  should  be  our  personal  prayer  and  desire  concerning  this  Christ 

in  h*s  two  states? 


CHAPTER    XV. 


THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  AND  HIS  WORK.     COMMON  AND  SPE- 
CIAL GRACE.     HIS   REGENERATING,   LEADING,  AND 
COMFORTING  OF  GOD'S  PEOPLE. 


Q.  39     What  do  you  believe  concerning  the  Holy  Ghost? 

A.  That  he  is  the  true  and  co-eternal  God  with  the  Father  and 

the  Son;  and  that  he  being  given  to  me  of  the  Father, 
through  Christ,  regenerates  me  and  leads  me  into  all  truth, 
comforts  me,  and  will  abide  with  me  forever. 

In  Chapter  X.,  on  the  Holy  Trinity,  we  have  already  dis- 
cussed the  Personality  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  Chapter  will 
be  devoted  to:  1)  His  Deity;  2)  His  work  of  common  grace; 
3)  His  work  of  special  grace  in  regenerating,  leading  into  all 
truth,  and  comforting. 

1)  The  Deity  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  This  is  expressed  in 
Article  XL  of  our  Confession  of  Faith  in  these  words:  "We 
believe  and  confess  also  that  the  Holy  Ghost,  from  eternity, 
proceeds  from  the  Father  and  the  Son;  and  therefore  neither 
is  made,  created  nor  begotten,  but  only  proceedeth  from  both; 
who  in  order  is  the  third  person  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  of  one 
and  the  same  essence,  majesty  and  glory  with  the  Father  and 
the  Son,  and  therefore  is  the  true  and  eternal  God,  as  the 
Holy  Scriptures  teach  us." 

As  in  the  case  of  the  divinity  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
(Chapter  XII.),  so  in  the  case  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  usual 
way  of  proving  his  Godhead  is  by  showing  that  the  Bible  as- 
cribes to  him  divine  names,  divine  attributes,  divine  works, 
and  divine  honor. 

(a)  Divine  Names  are  given  to  him  in  the  Bible  such  as 
"God"  in  Acts  5:3,  4;  "Why  hath  Satan  filled  thy  heart  to  lie 
unto  the  Holy  Spirit?  ....  Thou  hast  not  lied  unto  men  but 
unto  God."  Ps.  5)5:  7-11  ascribes  that  same  name  to  him.  "He 
is  our  God  ....  today  if  you  will  hear  his  voice  harden  not 
vour  heart."    Isa.  6: 1-10  in  connection  with  Acts  28:  25-27,  in- 


THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  AND  HIS  WORK  123 

troduces  him  as  "the  LORD,"  "Jehovah  of  hosts."  Other 
names  of  a  smiilar  character  are:  "Spirit  of  God,"  1  Cor.  3:16; 
"Spirit  of  Jehovah,"  Isa.  11:2;  "Spirit  of  Christ."  Horn.  8:9; 
"Spirit  of  his  Son,"  Gal.  4:(i. 

(b)  Divine  Attributes  are  also  mentioned  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  such  as  eternity,  Heb.  9: 14;  omnipresence,  Ps.  139:  7-10; 
omnipotence,  Luke  1:35;  omniscience,  1  Cor.  2:10,  11:  John 
14:26;  16:12,  13. 

(c)  Divine  Works  are  attributed  to  the  third  person  of 
the  Holy  Trinity.  In  Gen.  1:  2  he  is  said  to  have  been  moving 
on  the  waters,  clearly  indicating  the  divine  work  of  imparting 
life  to  dead  matter;  in  other  words,  he  was  active  in  the  work 
of  Creation,  even  as  elsewhere  we  And  him  named  the  Spirit 
of  Life,  because  he  is  author  of  all  life,  not  alone  in  nature, 
but  also  in  grace,  Ps.  104:30:  "Thou  sendest  forth  thy  Spirit, 
they  are  created";  John  6:63:  "It  is  the  Spirit  that  giveth 
life."  In  the  divine  work  of  Providence  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
active  likewise,  Ps.  104:30:  "And  thou  renewest  the  face  of 
the  earth."  The  divine  work  of  the  inspiration  of  the  Bible 
is  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost  in  2  Peter  1:  21,  and  prophecy  in 
2  Sam.  23:2,  3.  That  he  is  named  Spirit  of  holiness,  Rom.  1: 
4;  Spirit  of  promise,  Eph.  1:13;  Spirit  of  truth,  John  16:13; 
and  Spirit  of  wisdom  and  counsel  and  might.  Spirit  of  knowl- 
edge and  fear  of  the  LORD  in  Isa.  11:2,  also  plainly  testifies 
to  the  fact  of  his  divinity  since  only  a  divine  person  can 
perform  the  works  involved  in  the  titles. 

(d)  That  divine  honors  are  accorded  him  is  plain  as  we 
see  his  name  coupled  with  the  divine  persons  of  Father  and 
Son  in  the  baptism  formula  and  apostolic  benediction  as  well 
as  in  the  doxologies  of  Revelation.  Moreover,  the  fact  that  to 
sin  against  this  divine  person  of  the  Godhead  is  of  an  unpar- 
donable character,  (Chap.  V.,  p.  37),  even  more  serious  than 
sinning  against  the  Son  of  man.  Matt.  12:  31,  32,  clearly  proves 
that,  as  our  Compendium  states,  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  true  and 
co-eternal  God,  with  the  Father  and  the  Son.  God  grant  us 
never  to  grieve  him  nor  to  rebel  against  him,  but  rather 
implore: 

"Come  Holy  Si^irit,  heavenly  Dove, 

With  all  thy  quickening  powers. 
Kindle  a  flame  of  sacred  love 

In  these  cold  hearts  of  ours." 


124  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

II.  The  Spirit's  work  of  Common  Grace.  This  is  a  doc- 
trine which  should  not  be  overlooked.  Pelagians  and  others 
deny  our  total  depravity,  Chapter  V.,  by  pointing  to  the  good 
still  done  by  the  un regenerated.  We  claim,  however,  that 
whatever  of  human  virtue  and  achievement  is  shining  among 
those  who  are  not  born  again,  is  not  due  to  powers  for  good 
left  in  them,  above  the  "few  remains"  of  God's  image,  the 
"glimmerings  of  natural  light"  (Conf,  Art.  XIV.,  Canons,  III., 
IV.,  4,  5),  but  to  the  workings  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  realm 
of  common  grace.  (Compare  Chapter  IX.  on  Grace.)  By  this 
common  Grace  we  understand  that  the  Holy  Ghost  works  in 
men  to  promote  whatsoever  is  beautiful  and  good,  morally 
and  mentally,  fostering  art,  science,  morality,  patriotism  and 
all  kinds  of  outward  virtues,  in  individuals  and  groups  of 
individuals,  at  the  same  time  restraining  sin  in  its  ruining, 
dissolving  tendencies  and  influences.  That  these  things  must 
be  attributed  to  the  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  plain  from 
such  texts  as  Gen.  (i:  3,  telling  how  the  Spirit  strives  with  men; 
Job  32:8:  "The  Breath  of  the  Almighty  giveth  them  under- 
standing"; and  Ex.  31:1-6,  speaking  of  how  the  Spirit  filled 
Bezalel  "in  wisdom  and  in  understanding,  and  in  knowledge, 
and  in  all  manner  of  workmanship,  to  devise  cunning  work," 
and  "in  the  hearts  of  all  that  are  wise-hearted  I  have  put  wis- 
dom, that  they  may  make  all  that  I  have  commanded." 

Other  operations  of  common  grace,  though  not  specifically 
ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  are  mentioned  in  Acts  14: 17  about 
fruitful  seasons  and  rains,  filling  hearts  with  food  and  glad- 
ness, the  firmness  of  nature's  laws  and  ordinances.  Gen.  8:  21; 
Jer.  33:20,  25;  morality,  Rom.  1:19,  20;  2:14,  15;  the  law 
against  murder.  Gen.  9:5,  6;  replenishing  the  earth.  Gen.  9: 
1,  7;  "the  fear  of  God  and  dread  upon  every  beast  of  the 
earth,"  (a  restoration  of  dominion  over  the  animal  world). 
Gen.  9:2;  the  scattering  of  mankind  over  the  face  of  all  the 
earth.  Gen.  11:8;  national  boundaries,  Deut.  38:8;  "yea,  every 
good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from  above,"  Jas.  1: 17.  Let 
us  appreciate  all  this. 

III.  Besides  working  the  work  of  common  grace  in  all 
its  recipients,  the  Holy  Spirit  is  active  and  especially  so  in  the 
domain  of  special  grace,  in  applying  the  merits  of  the  Re- 
deemer to  the  salvation  of  God's  people.     That  this  is  the 


THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  AND  HIS  WORK  125 


function  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  plain  from  1  Cor.  6: 11:  "And 
such  were  some  of  you;  but  ye  were  washed,  but  ye  were 
sanctified,  but  ye  were  justified  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
and  by  the  Spirit  of  our  God."  The  Compendium  mentions 
four  operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  this  respect:  regenera- 
tion, leading  into  all  truth,  comforting,  and  abiding,  the  last 
three  not  being  dogmatical  distinctions,  but  comforting  bless- 
ings following  regeneration.  The  usual  dogmatical  order  is: 
1)  Calling,  (Chapter  XVII.);  2)  Regeneration,  (Chapter  XV.); 
3)  Conversion,  Chapter  XXIV.);  and  4)  Sanctification,  (Chap- 
ter XXV).  Some  mention  Regeneration  as  preceding  Calling. 
Compare  Chapter  XVII.,  2. 

1)  Regeneration.  That  this  is  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  taught  in  Johii  3:  5-8:  "Jesus  answered,  Verily,  verily, 
I  say  unto  thee,  Except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  the 
Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.  That  which 
is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh;  and  that  which  is  born  of  the 
Spirit  is  Spirit.  Marvel  not  that  I  said  unto  thee,  Ye  must  be 
born  anew.  The  wund  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and  thou 
hearest  the  voice  thereof,  but  knowest  not  whence  it  cometh, 
and  whither  it  goeth;  so  is  every  one  that  is  born  of  the 
Spirit." 

The  term  regeneration  is  used  in  a  narrower  and  in  a 
wider  sense.  In  the  narrow^  sense  it  indicates  the  implanting 
of  new,  spiritual  life  in  the  heart  of  those  in  whom  it  takes 
place.  It  has  been  likened  to  the  planting  of  seed  in  the 
soil.  In  the  wider  sense  it  is  used  to  denote  the  flrst  mani- 
festation of  the  new  life  in  the  consciousness  of  the  recipient 
of  regeneration  in  the  narrow  sense.  This  may  be  compared 
to  the  germinating  and  appearing  above  the  surface  of  the 
planted  seed,  the  enlightening  of  the  mind,  the  bending  of 
the  will  and  the  renewal  of  the  affections.  At  present 
this  Is  usually  called  Conversion,  and  will  be  treated  in 
Chapter  XXIV.  Our  Reformed  fathers  employed  the  term  in 
a  still  wider  sense  as  Including,  besides  Conversion,  the  entire 
renewal  of  a  believer,  the  latter  at  present  usually  being 
called  Sanctification.  See  Chapter  XXV.  In  Matt.  1!):28  our 
Savior  spoke  of  regeneration  in  the  sense  of  a  renewal  of  the 
whole  earth  and  its  social  order.  In  this  Chapter  we  limit 
ourselves  to  a  discussion  of  regeneration  in  the  narrow  sense 


126  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

— the  implanting  of  new,  spiritual  life  in  the  hearts  of  the 
chosen. 

This  regeneration  is  mysterious  in  character.  No  human 
eye  can  espy  the  workings  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  heart  as 
he  at  the  time  of  God's  good  pleasure  implants  the  seed  of  the 
new  life.  It  takes  place  in  the  center  of  our  soul-life  and 
hence  we  are  unconscious  of  its  implanting.  When  we  notice 
the  stirrings  of  a  new  nature  within  us  it  proves  that  the  im- 
planting has  already  taken  place.  It  is  a  very  important  work 
this  work  of  regeneration.  It  is  called  a  "quickening"  of  what 
was  spiritually  dead,  a  "giving  of  life,"  a  putting  within  us  of 
"a  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit,"  John  6:  63;  Eph.  2:1;  Ez.  36:26. 
It  imparts  to  us  spiritual  force  so  that  in  course  of  time  our 
mind,  will  and  affections  are  renovated  and  the  image  of  God 
can  begin  to  be  restored,  just  like  in  the  living  seed  implanted 
in  the  soil  is  the  germ  of  a  new  life,  and,  in  embryo,  all  that 
involves  the  making  of  the  complete  plant. 

But  while  accepting  all  this,  we  must  be  careful  to  bear 
in  mind  that  in  regeneration  no  new  physical  element  or  sub- 
stance is  imparted  to  us.  We  do  not  receive  a  new  soul,  but 
are  renewed  in  the  inward  man.  2  Cor.  4: 16.  There  is  a  re- 
versing of  the  process  of  sin,  so  that  the  Lord  "sets  right  again 
the  crooked  wheel  of  life."  A  new  nature  is  imparted,  not  a 
new  essence. 

Regeneration  in  the  narrow  sense  is  a  momentary  act, 
an  instantanef)us  change,  a  "passing  from  death  to  life." 
Eph.  2:5. 

It  is  a  radical  change  in  the  sense  that  the  very  root  of 
our  being  becomes  altered.  We-  become  a  new  man,  in  prin- 
ciple, a  "new  creature,"  2  Cor.  5: 17.  The  fact  that  regenera- 
tion is  called  the  giving  of  a  new  heart  and  a  new  spirit, 
Ez.  36:26,  and  11:19,  plainly  involves  this  radical  character 
of  the  new  birth. 

It  is  a  permanent  change,  for  the  life  imparted  is  immor- 
tal, Rom.  9:28-30.  The  soul  is  passive  in  regeneration.  We 
do  not  regenerate  ourselves  but  are  regenerated.  The  soul 
thus  being  passive  and  unconscious  of  the  matter,  it  follows 
plainly  that  regeneration  is  irresistible. 

It  also  is  a  free  and  sovereign  act  of  grace.  "The  wind 
bloweth  where  it  listeth."  Regeneration  is  involved  in  the 
promises  of  the  Covenant.    "A  new  heart  will  I  give  you  and 


THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  AND  HIS  WORK  127 

a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within  you;  I  will  take  away  the  stony 
heart  out  of  your  flesh  and  I  will  give  vou  a  heart  of  flesh." 
Ez.  36:26. 

The  time  of  regeneration  is  not  easily  determined.  Some 
people,  no  doubt  many,  are  regenerated  in  infancA .  Read 
Isa.  16:3,  4;  Gal.  1:  15;  2  Tim.  1:3;  Ps.  71:5,  6,  17.  The  cases 
of  John  the  Baptist,  Jeremiah,  Timothy  and  others  also  show 
this.  But  some  evidently  are  regenerated  later  in  life,  as 
shown  b>  Lydia,  "whose  heart  the  Lord  opened,"  while  she 
listened  to  the  preaching  of  Paul,  Acts  16:  14.  Reformed  theo- 
logians ditfer  in  opinion  as  to  the  function  of  the  Word  of  God 
in  regeneration,  whether  or  not  it  occurs  mediately  or  imme- 
diately, i.e.  by  means  of  or  without  the  Word.  About  this 
question  the  following  was  officially  declared  by  the  General 
Synod  of  the  Reformed  Churches  of  the  Netherlands,  as- 
sembled in  Utrecht,  in  1905,  and  therefore  styled  the  Con- 
clusion of  Utrecht:  "This  expression  (Immediate  Regenera- 
tion), can  be  used  in  a  good  sense  insofar  as  our  Churches 
have  always  confessed,  in  opposition  to  the  Lutheran  and 
Roman  Church,  that  Regeneration  does  not  take  place,  by  the 
Word  or  the  Sacraments  as  such,  but  by  the  almighty  and  re- 
generating operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  that  this  regenerating 
operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  however,  may  not  be  separated 
from  the  preaching  of  the  Word  in  the  sense  that  both  should 
be  separated  from  each  other;  for  although  our  Confession 
teaches  that  we  must  not  entertain  doubt  concerning  the  sal- 
vation of  our  children  who  die  young,  although  they  have  not 
heard  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  and  furthermore  nowhere 
in  our  Standards  a  statement  is  made  concerning  the  manner 
in  which  this  regeneration  takes  place  in  them  and  in  other 
children;  but  nevertheless,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  certain  that 
the  Gospel  is  a  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  who 
believes,  and  that  in  the  case  of  adults,  the  regenerating 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  accompanies  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel.  Although  the  Synod  does  not  controvert  the  asser- 
tion that  God  is  able,  without  the  preaching  of  the  Word,  par- 
ticularly in  the  heathen  world,  to  regenerate  whomsoever  he 
will,  nevertheless,  Synod  judges  that  we,  on  the  basis  of  the 
Word  of  God,  cannot  state  anything  positively  concerning  the 
question  whether  or  not  this  actually  takes  place,  and  hence 


128  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

we  follow  the  rule  which  the  revealed  Word  gives  us,  to 
leave  the  secret  things  unto  the  Lord  our  God." 

Regeneration  is  beautifully  described  in  Canons  111.,  IV., 
as  follows: 

Article  12.  "And  this  is  the  regeneration  so  highly  cele- 
brated in  Scripture,  and  denominated  a  new  creation;  a  resur- 
rection from  the  dead;  a  making  alive,  which  God  works  in 
us  without  our  aid.  But  this  is  no  wise  effected  merely  by  the 
external  preaching  of  the  gospel,  by  moral  suasion,  or  such  a 
mode  of  operation,  that  after  God  has  performed  his  part,  it 
still  remains  in  the  power  of  man  to  be  regenerated  or  not, 
to  be  converted,  or  to  continue  unconverted;  but  it  is  evi- 
dently a  supernatural  work,  most  powerful,  and  at  the  same 
time  most  delightful,  astonishing,  mysterious,  and  ineffable; 
not  inferior  in  efficacy  to  creation,  or  the  resurrection  from 
the  dead,  as  the  Scripture  inspired  by  the  author  of  this  work 
declares;  so  that  all  in  whose  hearts  God  works  in  this  mar- 
velous manner,  are  certainly,  infallibly  and  effectually  regen- 
erated, and  do  actually  believe. — Whereupon  the  will  thus 
renewed,  is  not  only  actuated  and  influenced  by  God,  but  in 
consequence  of  this  influence,  becomes  itself  active.  Where- 
fore also,  man  is  himself  rightly  said  to  believe  and  repent, 
by  virtue  of  that  grace  received." 

We  can  know  that  we  are  regenerated  by  showing  the 
fruits  of  the  Spirit — love,  joy,  peace,  longsuffering,  gentle- 
ness, goodness,  faith.  Gal.  5:  22.  God  grant  we  may  be  or  be- 
come able  to  know  whether  or  not  we  are  born  again.  Let 
us  not  rest  till  we  know  we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life  I 

2)  The  leading  into  all  truth  is  also  mentioned  in  the 
Compendium  as  a  work  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  behalf  of  the 
heirs  of  salvation.  It  was  promised  in  John  14:  26:  "the  Holy 
Ghost  .  .  .  shall  teach  you  all  things."  It  was  also  prayed 
for  by  our  Lord,  John  17:17:  "Sanctify  them  through  thy 
truth:  thy  word  is  truth." 

This  has  been  called  illumination  and  is  taught  in  1  Cor.  2: 
12:  "Now  we  have  received,  not  the  spirit  of  the  world,  but 
the  Spirit  which  is  of  God,  that  we  might  know  the  things 
that  are  freely  given  to  us  of  God."  2  Cor.  4:6:  "Seeing  it  is 
God  that  said.  Light  shall  shine  out  of  darkness,  who  shined 
in  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory 
of  Gpd  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ."  This  illumination  is  in 
connection  with  the  Word  of  God,  This  we  hold  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  Anabaptists  of  the  days  of  the  Reformation,  the 
Ranters  of  the  time  of  Bunyan,  and  the  Quakers  who  placed 


THE  HOLY  SPIRIT  AND  HIS  WORK  129 

the  "Inner  Light,"  so-called,  or  the  promptings  of  their  own 
heart,  above  the  Word  in  authority.  This  leading  into  all 
truth  concerns  particularly  five  matters:  1)  the  fact  of  our 
sin,  Jer.  31:  19;  2)  our  misery.  Rev.  3:  17;  3)  the  insufficiency 
of  any  but  Christ  to  redeem  us,  Rom.  7:21;  4)  the  absolute  ne- 
cessity of  Christ,  Acts  4:  12;  and  5)  the  need  and  manner  of 
walking  before  God  in  newness  of  life,  Rom.  7:6. 

3)  The  comforting  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are 
plainly  involved  in  the  names  he  bears,  such  as  expressed  in 
John  14:  16,  17:  "And  I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  he  shall 
give  you  another  Comforter,  that  he  may  be  with  you  for- 
ever, even  the  Spirit  of  truth;  whom  the  world  cannot  re- 
ceive; for  it  beholdeth  him  not,  neither  knoweth  him:  ye 
know  him;  for  he  abideth  with  you,  and  shall  be  in  you." 

The  name  Comforter  may  also  be  translated  "Advocate," 
"Helper."  The  Greek  word  Paraclete,  indicates  one  who 
takes  some  one's  place.  Christ  is  our  Comforter  in  heaven; 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  his  Substitute  as  such  on  earth. 

The  Holy  Ghost  comforts  God's  children  as  to  the  sins  of 
the  past.  He  does  so  when  they  are  troubled  by  the  sins  of 
the  present.  He  likewise  comforts  them  concerning  fears 
about  the  future.  He  exercises  his  office  when  troubles  assail 
us,  foes  beset  us,  or  when  dangers  of  Church  or  country,  or 
of  near  and  dear  ones  fill  the  heart  with  sorrows  and  mis- 
givings. 

He  does  so  sweetly,  in  harmony  with  our  character  and 
actual  needs.  Isa.  66:13:  "As  one  whom  his  mother  com- 
forteth,  so  will  I  comfort  you."  This  is  done  by  applying 
the  promises  of  the  gospel  to  the  heart,  by  revealing  Christ 
in  all  his  loveliness  and  fulness  of  mercy,  and  by  showing 
the  glories  of  the  world  to  come,  so  that  true  comfort  such  as 
the  world  neither  can  give,  nor  take  away,  becomes  the  por- 
tion of  those  who  fear  God  and  have  become  the  property  of 
Jesus. 

"Eternal  Spirit!  we  confess 
And  sing  the  wonders  of  thy  grace; 
Thy  pow'r  conveys  our  blessings  down 
From  God  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

Enlighten'd  by  thine  heavenly  ray, 
Our  shades  and  darkness  turn  to  day; 
We  learn  the  meaning  of  thy  Word, 
And  find  salvation  in  the  Lord. 


130  THE  COMPENDIUM    EXPLAINED 

Thy  pow'r  and  glory  work  within, 
And  break  the  chains  of  reigning  sin; 
Our  wild  imperious  lusts  subdue, 
And  form  our  wretched  hearts  anew. 

The  troubled  conscience  knows  thy  voice; 
Thy  cheering  words  awake  our  joys; 
Thy  words  allay  the  stormy  wind, 
And  calm  the  surges  of  the  mind." 

4)     About  the  abiding  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  heart  of 
the  believers,  see  Chapter  XXV.  on  Sanctiflcation,  §4. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Mention  some  of  the  divine  NAMES  given  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 

2  Which  divine  ATTRIBUTES  of  the  Spirit  can  you  mention? 

3  Which  divine  WORKS  are  ascribed  to  the  Holy  Ghost? 

4  What  can  you  say  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  work  of  common  grace? 

5  What  is  meant  by  special  grace? 

6  What  is  meant  by  regeneration  in  the  narrow  sense  of  the  word? 

7  What  is  meant  by  regeneration  in  the  wider  sense? 

8  What  is  included  in  "regeneration"  in  its  widest  meanings? 

9  What  can  you  say  of  te  nature  of  regeneration  in  the  narrow  sense? 

10  What  is  the  function  of  the  Word  of  God  in  the  work  of  regeneration? 

11  How  can  we  know  that  we  personally  are  regenerated? 

12  What  is  meant  by  the  Spirit  leading  us  into  all  truth? 

13  Why  is  the  Holy  Spirit  called  the  Comforter? 

14  What  use  does  the  Spirit  make  of  the  gospel  to  comfort  us? 

15  What    should    be    our   personal    prayer    and    desire    regarding   the    Holy 

Ghost  and  his  work? 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


THE    CHURCH    AND    ITS    ATTRIBUTES,    DISTINCTIONS, 
MARKS,  OFFICE-BEARERS  AND  DUTY. 


Q.   40     What  believest  thou  concerning  the  Holy  Catholic  Church? 

A.  That  the  Son  of  God  gathers  by  his  Word  and  Spirit  out  of 

the  whole  human  race,  those,  who  are  chosen  to  eternal  life, 
to  be  a  church  to  himself;  of  wMch  I  believe  I  am,  and 
always  shall  remain,  a  living  member. 

Q.   41     Where  doth  he  gather  his  church? 

A.  Where   God's  Word  is  purely  preached,   and  the  holy  sacra- 

ments administered  according  to  the  institution  of  Christ. 

The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  individual  children  of 
God  leads  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Church,  discussed  in  the 
Compendium  in  Q.  40-42.  This  is  because  those  who  become 
partakers  of  the  Holy  Ghost  as  he  regenerates,  form  a  body, 
a  unit,  with  Christ  as  its  Head  and  Redeemer.  For  an  or- 
derly discussion  of  this  subject  let  us  notice:  1)  the  essence 
and  names  of  the  Church;  2)  its  attributes;  3)  its  distinctions; 
4)  the  marks  of  the  visible  Church;  5)  its  office-bearers; 
6)  its  duty;  and  7)  how  we  are  duly  bound  to  join  it  as  living 
members.  The  next  chapter  will  be  devoted  to  the  benefits 
bestowed  on  the  Church. 

1)  The  Essence  of  the  Church.  This  is  described  in  Art. 
XXVn.  of  the  Confession: 

"We  believe  and  profess,  one  catholic  or  universal 
Church,  which  is  an  holy  congregation,  of  true  Christian  be- 
lievers, all  expecting  their  salvation  in  Jesus  Christ,  being 
w^ashed  by  his  blood,  sanctified  and  sealed  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
This  Church  hath  been  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  and 
wall  be  to  the  end  thereof;  which  is  evident  from  this,  that 
Christ  is  an  eternal  king,  which,  without  subjects,  cannot  be. 
And  this  holy  Church  is  preserved  or  supported  by  God, 
against  the  rage  of  the  whole  world;  though  she  sometimes 
(for  a  while)  appears  very  small,  and  in  the  eyes  of  men,  to 
be  reduced  to  nothing:  as  during  the  perilous  reign  of  Ahab, 
the  Lord  reserved  unto  him  seven  thousand  men,  who  had  not 
bowed  their  knees  to  Baal.  Furthermore,  this  holy  Church 
is  not  confined,  bound,  or  limited  to  a  certain  place  or  to 
certain  persons,  but  is  spread  and  dispersed  over  the  whole 


132  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


world;  and  yet  is  joined  and  united  with  heart  and  will,  bv 
the  power  of  faith,  in  one  and  the  same  Spirit." 

The  name  Church  is  derived  from  the  Greek  word  kyria- 
kos,  signifying  "of  the  Lord."  The  words  Kerk,  Kirche,  Kirk, 
are  also  derived  from  it.  In  the  New  Testament  the  word 
Ekklesia  is  used,  derived  from  two  words,  ek,  meaning  out, 
and  kaleo,  to  call.  Hence  the  Church  has  been  named  a  gath- 
ering of  those  called  out,  namely,  from  the  rest  of  mankind. 
The  Church  is  a  gathering  of  believers  who  form  a  commun- 
ity, an  organism,  a  body,  the  body  of  Christ,  Eph.  1 :  23.  Their 
unity  is  not  external,  but  internal,  living  and  organic,  with 
Christ  as  the  Head,  "from  whom  all  the  body  fitly  framed  and 
knit  together  through  that  which  every  joint  supplieth,  ac- 
cording to  the  working  in  due  measure  of  each  several  part, 
maketh  the  increase  of  the  body  unto  the  building  up  of  itself 
in  love,"  Eph.  4:  16. 

It  is  also  called  "the  household  of  God,  being  built  upon 
the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Christ  Jesus  him- 
self being  the  chief  corner  stone;  in  whom  each  several  build- 
ing, fitly  framed  together,  groweth  into  a  holy  temple  in  the 
Lord;  in  whom  ye  also  are  builded  together  for  a  habitation 
of  God  in  the  Spirit,"  Eph.  2:20-22. 

What  a  glorious  thing  to  belong  to  it! 

2)  The  Attributes  of  the  Church.  They  are  chiefly  four 
in  number,  the  unity,  holiness,  catholicity  and  Christianity  or 
apostolicity. 

a.  The  unity  of  the  Church  is  not  external  but  internal 
and  spiritual.  It  signifies  that  the  Church  has  one  Lord,  one 
faith,  one  baptism,  Eph.  4:3-5.  It  has  one  Head,  Christ,  and 
is  led  by  one  Spirit,  and  through  the  Spirit  forms  one  com- 
munity or  body,  1  Cor.  12:13:  "For  in  one  Spirit  were  we 
all  baptized  into  one  body,  whether  Jews  or  Greeks,  whether 
bond  or  free;  and  were  all  made  to  drink  of  one  Spirit." 

There  is  what  is  called  pluriformity  as  to  outward 
church  organizations,  which  frequently  hides  the  true  unity 
of  the  Church,  but  while  there  is  not  a  Christianity  above  or 
below  differences  in  faith,  (Geloofsverdeeldheid),  there  is  one 
within  and  notwithstanding  all  difi'erences  in  doctrine. 

b.  Holiness.  This  refers  to  the  spiritual  renewal  of  the 
true  members  of  the  Church  so  that  they  become  separated 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  ATTRIBUTES  133 

from  the  world  and  devoted  to  God.  The  Church  is  holy  be- 
cause it  is  a  communion  of  saints,  because  true  believers  are 
sanctified  in  Christ,  and  born  again,  and  being  renewed  in  the 
inner  man,  with  a  desire  and  striving  to  walk  before  God  in 
newness  of  life,  John  17:  19;  Eph.  5:  25-27;  1  Peter  2:  9.  (Cf. 
Chapter  XXV.  on  Sanctification.) 

c.  The  catholicity  of  the  Church.  The  word  catholic 
signifies  "general."  It  indicates  three  things:  1)  that  Chris- 
tianity is  a  religion  appropriate  for  the  whole  world,  in  all 
ages,  for  every  class  of  people,  and  for  all  countries;  2)  that 
the  Church  is  gathered  out  of  "Every  tribe,  and  tongue,  and 
people,  and  nation,"  Rev.  5:9;  and  3)  that  the  truth  of  Chris- 
tianity is  designed  to  control  not  alone  the  whole  of  the  indi- 
vidual believer,  but  the  whole  of  human  life  in  every  domain 
of  activity.  We  should  ever  protest  against  the  exclusive  use 
of  this  name  "catholic"  by  the  Roman  Church.  It  is  usurpa- 
tion which  severely  reflects  on  Protestantism  as  if  it  were 
outside  of  the  pale  of  the  Church  Universal! 

d.  Christian  or  Apostolic.  Christian  is  the  attribute  of 
the  Church  since  Christ  is  its  Head  and  Lord,  from  whose 
Word  it  is  to  derive  strength,  and  according  to  which  Word 
it  is  to  regulate  its  life.  The  term  apostolic  is  applied  at  times 
to  indicate  that  the  Apostles  have  taught  us  the  truth  pro- 
claimed by  Jesus.  Therefore  Paul  states  in  Eph.  2:20  that 
the  Household  of  God  is  "being  built  upon  the  foundation  of 
the  Apostles  and  Prophets,"  that  is,  upon  their  doctrine. 
1  John  1:3:  "That  which  we  have  seen  and  heard  declare  we 
unto  you  also,  that  ye  also  may  have  fellowship  with  us;  yea, 
and  our  fellowship  is  with  the  Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ." 

3)  The  Distinctions  of  the  Church.  We  speak  of  the 
Church  on  earth  as  militant  or  fighting,  because  it  is  struggling 
against  sin  within  and  without,  against  the  devil  and  all  his 
helpers,  the  world  and  all  its  temptations,  and  sinful  in- 
fluences, and  because  it  fights  or  contends  for  the  Headshi]) 
of  Christ,  and  for  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered  to  the  saints. 
Jude  3;  2  Tim.  4:  7;  Heb.  12:  4;  1  John  5:  4. 

The  Church  triumphant  is  the  victorious  Church  in 
heaven,  through  Christ  "more  than  conquerors,"  Rom.  8:37, 


134  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

and  which  overcame  "because  of  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  and 
because  of  the  Word  of  his  testimony,"  Rev.  12: 11. 

This  Church  is  enjoying  all  the  blessings  of  life  eternal 
prepared  in  the  heavens  for  all  overcomers,Rev.  2:  7,  11,  17,  26. 

At  the  end  of  time  the  Church  militant  of  earth  shall  be 
merged  into  the  Church  triumphant  in  heaven. 

The  distinction  of  the  Church  as  visible  and  invisible, 
does  not  signify  two  separate  Churches,  but  the  one  Church 
(on  earth)  looked  at  under  two  aspects. 

The  visible  Church  consists  of  those  who  profess  faith  in 
Christ,  together  with  their  children.  This  Church  is  visible 
through  its  organization,  its  institutions  and  office-bearers  as 
well  as  because  of  its  worship,  preaching  and  sacramental  ob- 
servances, and  also  because  its  members  are  publicly  known 
as  such. 

Invisible  is  that  same  Church  insofar  as  it  is  a  congrega- 
tion of  true  believers.  As  such  the  Church  is  an  object  of 
our  faith,  as  the  Apostles'  Creed  states:  "I  believe  a  holy 
catholic  Church."  We  cannot  know  with  certainty  who  are 
true  believers  and  who  are  not,  since  God  only  knows  the 
hearts  and  knows  those  whose  names  are  written  in  heaven. 
The  Reformed  Churches  condemn  as  Antinomian  error  that 
believers  can  infallibly  judge  and  discern  who  are  saints  and 
who  are  not.  Nevertheless  we  know  that  "all  is  not  Israel 
which  are  of  Israel."  Compare  the  parable  of  the  Virgins, 
Matt.  25:  1.  One  day  the  visible  and  the  invisible  Church  will 
be  perfectly  identical.    Rev.  21 :  27. 

We  also  distinguish  between  the  Church  as  an  Institute 
and  as  an  Organism.  The  Church  as  an  Institute  is  the  visible 
Church,  with  its  professing  members,  its  office-bearers  and 
outward  organization. 

The  Church  as  an  Organism,  however,  indicates  believers 
as  forming  the  mystical  body  of  Christ,  a  unity,  rooted  in 
Christ,  fitly  joined  together,  as  a  body  related  to  its  head, 
Eph.  4: 16.  The  Church  as  such  includes  all  who  belong  to 
Christ,  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  and  in  this  world  manifests 
itself  as  a  force,  in  the  life  of  the  home,  of  the  state,  in  society, 
and  in  all  christian  activity  in  the  realms  of  science,  art,  edu- 
cation, politics,  etc. 

Closely  akin  to  the  Church  is  the  Kingdom  of  God.    This 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  ATTRIBUTES  135 

term  is  expressive  of  tlie  sovereignty  of  God  and  of  the 
fact  that  those  who  belong  to  it  are  subjects  of  the  Lord  and 
not  their  own  masters.  "The  thought  of  the  Kingdom  of  God 
implies  the  subjection  of  the  entire  range  of  human  life  in  all 
its  forms  and  spheres  to  the  ends  of  religion.  The  Kingdom 
reminds  us  of  the  absoluteness,  the  pervasiveness,  the  un- 
restricted dominion,  which  of  right  belong  to  all  true  religion. 
It  proclaims  that  religion,  and  religion  alone,  can  act  as  the 
supreme  unifying,  centralizing  factor  in  the  life  of  man,  as 
that  whicji  binds  all  together  and  perfects  all  by  leading  it  to 
its  final  goal  in  the  service  of  God."  (Dr.  G.  Vos.) 

The  term  "Kingdom  of  God"  evidently  indicates  in  some 
texts  an  aggregation  of  spiritual  blessings,  a  treasure, 
a  pearl  of  great  price.  Matt.  13:44,  45;  righteousness,  peace 
and  joy  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  Rom.  14: 17;  growing  as  a  tree, 
working  as  leaven,  not  coming  with  outward  show,  Luke  17:20. 
It  is  entered  by  the  new  birth,  John  3:3,  5-7;  comprehending 
people  from  the  east  and  the  west,  the  north  and  the  south, 
Luke  13:29.  Some  include  the  angels  as  belonging  to  it, 
Heb.  12:22.  Matt.  16:19  speaking  of  the  "Keys  of  the  King- 
dom," evidently  identifies  Church  and  Kingdom.  (Compare 
Chapter  XII.  on  Christ's  office  as  King,  and  Chapter  XXII.,  §  6, 
on  the  Keys  of  Discipline.) 

The  name  "Kingdom  of  heaven,  used  32  times  in  Matthew's 
gospel,  suggests  that  the  Kingdom  descends  from  heaven,  has 
heaven  as  its  centre,  makes  us  heavenly-minded,  and  is  de- 
signed to  restore  the  authority  of  God  on  earth,  which  is  as 
a  revolted  province  of  his  universe.  It  will  be  complete 
when  the  King  comes  wholly  into  his  own.  Matt.  5:3;  fF.  6: 10; 
Luke  12:  32;  Acts  14:  22;  2  Thess.  1:5,  etc. 

4)  The  Marks  of  the  Church.  Two  of  these  are  men- 
tioned in  the  Compendium:  the  pure  preaching  of  the  Word, 
and  the  administering  of  the  holy  sacraments  according  to 
the  institution  of  Christ. 

That  purity  of  preaching  is  a  mark  of  the  Church,  is  evi- 
dent from  John  8:  31,  32  and  2  John  1:9. 

That  proper  administration  of  the  sacraments  is  neces- 
sary, is  shown  by  John  15:  14  and  Matt.  15:  7-9. 

Usually,  and  properly,  a  third  mark  is  added:  the  faith- 
ful exercise  of  christian  discipline.     (Chapter  XXII.) 


136  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


The  Confession,  in  Art.  XXIX.,  contains  the  following 
about  the  marks  of  the  true  Church,  and  wherein  she  dififers 
from  the  false  Church: 

"We  believe,  that  we  ought  diligently  and  circumspectly 
t9  discern  from  the  word  of  God  which  is  the  true  Church, 
since  all  sects  which  are  in  the  world  assume  to  themselves 
the  name  of  the  Church.  But  we  speak  not  here  of  hypocrites, 
who  are  mixed  in  the  Church  with  the  good,  yet  are  not  of  the 
Church,  though  externally  in  it;  but  we  say  that  the  body  and 
communion  of  the  true  Church  must  be  distinguished  from  all 
sects  which  call  themselves  the  Church.  The  marks,  b\  which 
the  true  Church  is  known,  are  these:  if  the  pure  doctrine  of 
the  gospel  is  preached  therein;  if  she  maintains  the  pure  ad- 
ministration of  the  sacraments  as  instituted  by  Christ;  if 
church  discipline  is  exercised  in  punishing  of  sin:  in  short,  if 
all  things  are  managed  according  to  the  pure  word  of  God,  all 
things  contrary  thereto  rejected,  and  Jesus  Christ  acknowl- 
edged as  the  only  Head  of  the  Church.  Hereby  the  true 
Church  may  certainly  be  known,  from  which  no  man  has  a 
right  to  separate  himself.  With  respect  to  those,  who  are 
members  of  the  Church,  they  may  be  known  by  the  marks 
of  Christians:  namely,  by  faith;  and  when  they  have  received 
Jesus  Christ  the  only  Savior,  they  avoid  sin,  follow  after  right- 
eousness, love  the  true  God  and  their  neighbor;  neither  turn 
aside  to  the  right  or  left,  and  crucify  the  flesh  with  the  works 
thereof.  But  this  is  not  to  be  understood,  as  if  there  did  not 
remain  in  them  great  infirmities;  but  they  fight  against  them 
through  the  Spirit,  all  the  days  of  their  life,  continually  taking 
their  refuge  in  the  blood,  death,  passion  and  obedience  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  'in  whom  they  have  remission  of  sins 
through  faith  in  him.'  As  for  the  false  Church,  she  ascribes 
more  power  and  authority  to  herself  and  her  ordinances  than 
to  the  word  of  God,  and  will  not  submit  herself  to  the  yoke 
of  Christ.  Neither  does  she  administer  the  sacraments  as  ap- 
pointed by  Christ  in  his  word,  but  adds  to  and  takes  from 
them,  as  she  thinks  proper;  she  relieth  more  upon  men  than 
upon  Christ;  and  persecutes  those,  who  live  holily  according 
to  the  word  of  God,  and  rebuke  her  for  her  errors,  covetous- 
ness,  and  idolatry.  These  two  churches  are  easily  known  and 
distinguished  from  each  other." 

It  is  the  duty  of  every  believer  to  assist  in  maintaining 
these  marks,  according  to  the  Word  of  God.  Especially  in 
times  of  laxity  in  doctrine  and  decay  in' morals,  christians  are 
to  remind  themselves  of  their  obligations  to  watch  for  Zion's 
true  welfare.    This  is  part  of  the  "office"  of  believers. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  claims  as  marks  of  the 
Church  its  name  (Catholic),  its  antiquity,  duration,  multitude 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  ATTRIBUTES  137 

of  believers,  episcopal  succession,  agreement  in  doctrine  with 
the  ancient  Church,  unity  of  its  members  mutually  and  with 
its  head,  (the  Pope),  holiness  of  doctrine,  the  holy  life  of  the 
fathers  of  the  Church,  the  glory  of  its  miracles,  its  prophetical 
light,  the  testimony  of  its  enemies,  the  unhappy  ending  of  its 
opponents,  and  its  temporal  prosperity.  We  reject  these 
marks  since  several  of  them  arc  contrary  to  Holy  Writ  and 
others  are  disproved  by  history.  We  also  deny  its  claims  to 
the  exclusive  use  of  the  name  "catholic." 

5)  The  Office-bearers  of  the  Church  we  consider  to  be- 
long to  three  classes:  ministers,  representing  Christ  as 
Prophet;  elders,  representing  him  as  King;  and  deacons,  rep- 
resenting the  Lord  as  merciful  High  Priest. 

The  Reformed  Churches  hold  the  office  of  Apostles  to 
have  been  extraordinary  and  of  temporary  duration,  since  the 
New  Testament  mentions  as  "marks"  of  apostleship:  1)  send- 
ing by  Christ  himself,  Gal.  1:1;  2)  being  a  witness  of  his  life, 
especially  of  his  resuirection,  John  15:27;  Acts  1:21,  22; 
3)  infallible  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  teaching  and 
writing.  John  14:  26;  1  Cor.  14:  37. 

Evangelists  were  helpers  of  the  Apostles,  such  as  Philip 
and  Timothy,  Acts  21:  8;  2  Tim.  4:5. 

We  do  not  consider  bishops  to  be  successors  of  the 
Apostles,  as  the  Romish  and  the  Episcopal  Churches  claim, 
but  believe  their  office  to  be  the  same  as  that  of  the  pastors. 
The  Confession  contains  two  articles  on  this  subject: 

Art.  XXX.  Concerning  the  government  of,  and  offices 
in  the  Church. 
"We  believe,  that  this  true  Church  must  be  governed  by 
that  spiritual  policy  which  our  Lord  hath  taught  us  in  his 
Word;  namely,  that  there  must  be  ministers  or  pastors  to 
preach  the  Word  of  God,  and  to  administer  the  sacraments; 
also  elders  and  deacons,  who,  together  with  the  pastors,  form 
the  council  of  the  Church:  that  by  these  means  the  true  re- 
ligion may  be  preserved,  and  the  true  doctrine  everywhere 
propagated,  likewise  transgressors  punished  and  restrained 
by  spiritual  means:  also  that  the  poor  and  distressed  may  be 
relieved  and  comforted,  according  to  their  necessities.  By 
these  means  everything  will  be  carried  on  in  the  Church  with 
good  order  and  decency,  when  faithful  men  are  chosen,  ac- 
cording to  the  rule  prescribed  bv  St.  Paul  in  his  Epistle  to 
Timothy." 


138  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

Art.  XXXI.     Of  the  Ministers,  Elders,  and  Deacons. 

"We  believe,  that  the  ministers  of  God's  Word,  and  the 
elders  and  deacons,  ought  to  be  chosen  to  their  respective 
offices  by  a  lawful  election  by  the  Church,  with  calling  upon 
the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  in  that  order  which  the  Word  of 
God  teacheth.  Therefore  every  one  must  take  heed,  not  to 
intrude  himself  by  indecent  means,  but  is  bound  to  wait  till  it 
shall  please  God  to  call  him;  that  he  may  have  testimony  of 
his  calling,  and  be  certain  and  assured  that  it  is  of  the  Lord. 
As  for  the  ministers  of  God's  Word,  they  have  equally  the 
same  power  and  authority  wheresoever  they  are,  as  they  are 
all  ministers  of  Christ,  the  only  universal  Bishop,  and  the 
only  Head  of  the  Church.  Moreover,  that  this  holy  ordinance 
of  God  may  not  be  violated  or  slighted,  we  say  that  every  one 
ought  to  esteem  the  ministers  of  God's  Word,  and  the  elders 
of  the  Church,  very  highly  for  their  work's  sake,  and  be  at 
peace  with  them  without  murmuring,  strife  or  contention,  as 
much  as  possible." 

6)  The  Duty  of  the  Church,  first  of  all  and  throughout 
all,  is  to  serve  and  glorify  God.     Eph.  1:  4-6. 

Secondly,  to  develop  each  christian  until  he  attains  the 
fulness  of  his  stature  in  Christ.    Eph.  4:  11-15. 

Thirdly,  to  be  a  witness  for  Christ  to  those  round  about,  a 
light  and  a  leaven,  a  pillar  of  the  truth,  and  a  salt  to  keep 
from  corruption. 

Finally,  in  regard  to  the  unevangelized,  the  duty  is  to  "go 
and  make  disciples  of  all  the  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  Christ  com- 
manded."   Matt.  28:19,  20. 

The  basis  of  mission  work  is  God's  decree,  God's  promises, 
and  God's  command.  We  should  be  impelled  to  engage  in  the 
work  earnestly  and  constantly  because  of  a  desire  to  glorify 
God  in  this  manner,  to  have  his  Kingdom  come  and  precious 
souls  and  bodies  "saved  to  serve." 

Maj'  God  through  his  Spirit  make  us  all  earnest  to  know 
that  we  personally  are  living  members  of  the  Church,  and 
may  he  constantly  stir  up  us  and  the  gifts  within  us,  to  have 
the  Church  of  God  flourish  and  increase. 

7)  "That  every  one  is  bound  to  join  himself  to  the  true 
Church,''  is  thus  expressed  in  Art.  XXVIII.  of  the  Confession: 

"We  believe,  since  this  holy  congregation  is  an  assembly 
of  those  who  are  saved,  and  that  out  of  it  there  is  no  salva- 
tion, that  no  person,  of  whatsoever  state  or  condition  he  may 


THE  CHURCH  AND  ITS  ATTRIBUTES  139 


be,  ought  to  withdraw  himself,  to  live  in  a  separate  state  from 
It;  but  that  all  men  are  in  duty  bound  to  join  and  unite  them- 
selves with  It;  maintaining  the  unit\  of  the  Church;  sub- 
mitting themselves  to  the  doctrine  and  discipline  thereof; 
bowing  their  necks  under  the  yoke  of  Jesus  Christ;  and  as 
niutual  members  of  the  same  body,  serving  lo  the  edification 
ot  the  brethren,  according  to  the  talents  God  has  given  them. 
And  that  this  may  be  the  more  effectually  observed,  it  is  the 
duty  of  all  believers,  according  to  the  Word  of  God,  to  separate 
themselves  from  all  those  who  do  not  belong  to  the  Church 
and  to  join  themselves  to  this  congregation,  wheresoever  God 
hath  established  it,  even  though  the  magistrates  and  edicts  of 
princes  were  against  it;  yea,  though  they  should  suffer  death 
or  any  other  corporal  punishment.  Therefore  all  those,  who 
separate  themselves  from  the  same,  or  do  not  join  themselves 
to  it,  act  contrary  to  the  ordinance  of  God." 

Outward  membership  of  this  Church,  is,  of  course,  not 
sufficient.  Q.  40  speaks  of  being  a  "living  member"  of  it,  i.e. 
one  who  i^  born  again,  (Chapter  XV.),  and  between  whom 
and  Christ  there  is  a  mystical  and  vital  union,  so  that  we  live 
out  of  him,  as  well  as  for  him.  The  parable  of  the  vine 
(John  15)  serves  us  to  illustrate  the  meaning  of  this  living 
membership. 

May  we  not  rest  till  we  know  that  such  membership  is 
ours! 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Why   does   the   discussion   of  the   work   of  the   Holy   Spirit   lead   to   the 

doctrine  of  the  Church? 

2  What  is  the  Church  as  to  its  essence? 

3  Which  names  of  the  Church  can  you  enumerate? 

■i  What  does  the  attribute  of  the  Church's  UNITY  mean? 

5  What  does  the  HOLINESS  of  the  Church  signify? 

6  Describe  the  CATHOLICITY  of  the  Church. 

7  What   is   signified   by  the   Church    being    "CHRISTIAN"    and    "APOS- 

TOLIC"? 

8  What  is  meant  by  the  Church  MILITANT? 

9  What  is  meant  by  the  Church  TRIUMPHANT? 

10  What  do  you  mean  by  the  term  VISIBLE  Church? 

11  In  which  sense  is  the  Church  INVISIBLE? 

12  Describe    the    difference    between   the  Church    as    an    Institute    and    an 

Organism. 

13  Which  difference  is  there  between  the  Church  and  the  Kingdom  of  God? 

14  Which  are  the  three  MARKS  of  the  visible  Church? 

15  Who  are  the  office-bearers  of  the  Church? 

16  Which  is  the  great  duty  of  the  Church? 

17  What  is  our  duty  as  to  our  relation  to  the  Church? 


CHAPTER   Xvll. 

THE    CHURCH,    CHOSEN,    CALLED,    A    COMMUNION    OF 
SAINTS;    THE    SECOND    COMING    OF    CHRIST,    THE 
RESURRECTION,  THE  JUDGMENT,  ETERNAL  LIFE 
AND  ETERNAL  DEATH. 


Q.  42.     What  benefits  doth  Christ  bestow  on  his  Church? 
A.  He  grants  her  remission  of  sins,  the  resurrection  of  the  body, 

and  eternal  life. 

The  Church  of  God  enjoys  many  favors.  Several  are 
mentioned  in  Answer  40  of  the  Compendium,  placed  at  the 
head  of  Chapter  XVI.,  and  others  are  enumerated  in  Q.  42. 

For  the  sake  of  an  orderly  treatment  of  them  and  of  kin- 
dred doctrines,  we  shall,  in  this  Chapter,  discuss  consecu- 
tively: 1)  That  the  Church  is  chosen  from  eternity;  2)  called 
in  time;  and  3)  forming  a  communion  of  saints.  Reserving 
the  forgiveness  of  sin,  mentioned  in  Q.  42  to  the  next  Chap- 
ter (on  Justification),  we  shall  take  up  next:  4)  the  Second 
Coming  of  Christ;  5)  the  Resurrection;  6)  the  Judgment;  and 
finally,  7)  Eternal  Life  and  its  opposite,  Eternal  Death. 

1)  The  Church  is  chosen,  and  chosen  from  eternity.  That 
is  mentioned  in  Q.  40  of  the  Compendium  and  taught  clearly 
in  Holy  Writ.  Eph.  1:3-6:  "Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  blessed  us  with  every 
spiritual  blessing  in  the  heavenly  places  in  Christ:  even  as  he 
chose  us  in  him  before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  that  we 
.should  be  holy  and  without  blemish  before  him  in  love:  having 
foreordained  us  unto  adoption  as  sons  through  Jesus  Christ 
unto  himself,  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  his  will,  to  the 
praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace  which  he  freely  bestowed 
on  us  in  the  Beloved." 

In  Chapter  IX.  on  the  Attributes  of  God,  we  learned  of 
God's  secret  will,  of  the  will  of  his  decree,  God's  eternal  pur- 
pose according  to  which  he  etfects  all  things  in  time.  This 
decree  or  counsel  of  God  is  eternal,  Acts  lo:  18;  free.  Matt.  11: 
3(1;  wise,  Rom.  11:33.  34;  unchangeable,  Isa.  40:10;  and  it  is 
general,  Eph.  1:11.     It  has  been  called  "God's  working  plan 


THE  CHURCH  (Cont'd)  LAST  THINGS  141 

for  the  universe."  It  covers  all  things:  masses  and  atoms, 
pebbles  and  mountains,  drops  and  oceans,  countries  and  conti- 
nents, sun,  moon  and  stars;  it  comprehends  all  personalities: 
cherubs  and  seraphim,  all  principalities  and  powers,  devils 
and  saints,  beggars  and  emperors,  the  obscure  and  the  famous, 
paupers  and  millionaires;  and  every  event  is  included  in  it, 
sad  or  gladsome,  comprehensible  or  past  finding  out,  of  life 
and  of  death.  Job.  14:5;  Prov.  16:33;  21:1;  James  1:17;  Isa. 
45: 17;  Gen.  50:  20;  Job  34: 10;  Jer.  31:  35,  36. 

A  part  of  this  all-comprehensive  decree  is  Predestination, 
in  which  God  foreordained  the  eternal  state  of  rational  creat- 
ures. This  Predestination  consists  of  two  parts:  sovereign 
Election  of  some  to  everlasting  life,  and  most  righteous  Repro- 
bation of  others.  Reprobation,  signifying  rejection,  has  by 
some  been  called  Preterition,  or  passing  by. 

Article  XVI.  of  the  Confession  declares  the  following 
about  "Eternal  Election": 

"We  believe  that  all  the  posterity  of  Adam  being  thus 
fallen  into  perdition  and  ruin,  by  the  sin  of  our  first  parents, 
God  then  did  manifest  himself  such  as  he  is;  that  is  to  say, 
merciful  and  just:  Merciful,  since  he  delivers  and  preserves 
from  this  perdition  all,  whom  he,  in  his  eternal  and  unchange- 
able counsel  of  mere  goodness,  hath  elected  in  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord,  without  any  respect  to  their  works;  Just,  in 
leaving  others  in  the  fall  and  perdition  wherein  they  have 
involved  themselves." 

The  Canons  of  Dordrecht,  Canon  I.,  describe  this  in  detail: 

"Article  7.  Election  is  the  unchangeable  purpose  of  God, 
whereby,  before  the  foundation  of  the  world,  he  hath  out  of 
mere  grace,  according  to  the  sovereign  good  pleasure  of  his 
own  will,  chosen,  from  the  whole  human  race,  which  had 
fallen  through  their  own  fault,  from  their  primitive  state  of 
rectitude,  into  sin  and  destruction,  a  certain  number  of  per- 
sons to  redemption  in  Christ,  whom  he  from  eternity  appoint- 
ed the  Mediator  and  Head  of  the  elect,  and  the  foundation  oi 
Salvation. 

This  elect  number,  though  by  nature  neither  better  nor 
more  deserving  than  others,  but  with  them  involved  in  one 
common  misery,  God  hath  decreed  -to  give  to  Christ,  to  be 
saved  by  him,  and  effectually  to  call  and  draw  them  to  his 
communion  by  his  word  and  Spirit,  to  bestow  upon  them  true 
faith,  justification  and  sanctification;  and  having  powerfully 
preserved  them  in  the  fellowship  of  his  Son,  finally,  to  glorify 
them  for  the  demonstration  of  his  mercy,  and  for  the  praise 
of  the  riches  of  his  glorious  grace;  as  it  is  written,  "According 


142  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

as  he  hath  chosen  us  in  him,  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  that  we  should  be  holy,  and  without  blame  before  him 
in  love;  having  predestinated  us  unto  the  adoption  of  children 
by  Jesus  Christ  to  himself,  according  to  the  good  pleasure  of 
his  will,  to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  his  grace,  wherein  he 
hath  made  us  accepted  in  the  beloved."  Eph.  1 :  4,  5,  6.  And 
elseMhere,  "WTiom  he  did  predestinate,  them  he  also  called, 
and  whom  he  called,  them  he  also  justified,  and  whom  he  justi- 
fied them  he  also  glorified."    Rom.  8:  30. 

Article  8.  There  are  not  various  decrees  of  election,  but 
one  and  the  same  decree  respecting  all  those,  who  shall  be 
saved,  both  under  the  Old  and  New  Testament:  since  the 
scripture  declares  the  good  pleasure,  purpose  and  counsel  of 
the  divine  will  to  be  one,  according  to  w^hich  he  hath  chosen 
us  from  eternity,  both  to  grace  and  glory,  to  salvation  and  the 
way  of  salvation,  which  he  hath  ordained  that  we  should 
walk  therein. 

Article  9.  This  election  was  not  founded  upon  foreseen 
faith,  and  the  obedience  of  faith,  holiness,  or  any  other  good 
quality  or  disposition  in  man,  as  the  prerequisite,  cause  or 
condition  on  which  it  depended;  but  men  are  chosen  to  faith 
and  to  the  obedience  of  faith,  holiness,  etc.,  therefore  election 
is  the  fountain  of  every  saving  good;  from  which  proceed 
faith,  holiness,  and  the  other  gifts  of  salvation,  and  finally 
eternal  life  itself,  as  its  fruits  and  effects,  according  to  that  of 
the  apostle.  "He  hath  chosen  us  (not  because  we  were)  but 
that  we  should  be  holy,  and  without  blame,  before  him  in 
love."     Eph.  1 :  4. 

Article  10.  The  good  pleasure  of  God  is  the  sole  cause  of 
this  gracious  election;  which  doth  not  consist  herein,  that  God 
foreseeing  all  possible  qualities  of  human  actions,  elected  cer- 
tain of  these  as  a  condition  of  salvation;  but  that  he  was 
pleased  out  of  the  common  mass  of  sinners  to  adopt  some  cer- 
tain persons  as  a  peculiar  people  to  himself,  as  it  is  written, 
"For  the  children  being  not  yet  born,  neither  having  done  any 
good  or  evil,"  etc.  "It  was  said  (namely  to  Rebecca)  the  elder 
shall  serve  the  younger;  as  it  is  written,  Jacob  have  I  loved, 
but  Esau  have  I  hated."  Rom.  1):  11,  12,  13.  "And  as  many  as 
were  ordained  to  eternal  life  believed."    Acts  13:  48. 

Article  11.  And  as  God  himself  is  most  wise,  unchange- 
able, omniscient  and  omnipotent,  so  the  election  made  by  him 
can  neither  be  interrupted  nor  changed,  recalled  or  annulled; 
neither  can  the  elect  be  cast  away,  nor  their  number  dimin- 
ished." 

This  Election  is  personal.  The  nani'js  of  the  chosen  are  in 
the  Book  of  life.  Read  Ps.  69:  29;  7:  G;  Isa.  4:  3;  Luke  10:  20; 
Rom.  8:29,  30. 

The  elect  are  together  chosen  in  Christ  as  the  Head  of  his 
mystical  body,  the  Church.    Eph.  1 :  4. 


THE  CHURCH  (Cont'd)  LAST  THINGS  143 

Christ  himself  as  Mediator  and  Head  of  his  Church  was 
ordained  as  such.  Isa.  42 :  1 ;  43 :  1 0 ;  Acts  2 :  23 ;  4 :  28 ;  Eph.  1:4; 
1  Peter  1:20;  2:4. 

Concerning  the  Predestination  of  angels  we  read  in 
1  Tim.  5:21. 

About  the  reverse  of  Election,  Reprobation,  Art.  15  of 
Canon  I.  declares: 

"What  peculiarly  tends  to  illustrate  and  recommend  to 
us  the  eternal  and  unmerited  grace  of  election,  is  the  express 
testimony  of  sacred  Scripture,  that  not  all,  but  some  only  are 
elected,  while  others  are  passed  by  in  the  eternal  decree; 
whom  God,  out  of  his  sovereign,  most  just,  irreprehensible 
and  unchangeable  good  pleasure,  hath  decreed  to  leave  in  the 
common  misery  into  which  they  have  wdlfully  plunged  them- 
selves, and  not  to  bestow  upon  them  saving  faith  and  the  grace 
of  conversion;  but  permitting  them  in  his  just  judgment  to  fol- 
low their  own  ways,  at  last  for  the  declaration  of  his  justice, 
to  condemn  and  punish  them  for  ever,  not  only  on  account  of 
their  unbelief,  but  also  for  all  their  other  sins.  And  this  is  the 
decree  of  reprobation  which  by  no  means  makes  God  the 
author  of  sin,  (the  very  thought  of  which  is  blasphemy),  but 
declares  him  to  be  an  awful,  irreprehensible,  and  righteous 
judge  and  avenger."  Also  read  Mai.  1 :  2,  3;  Matt.  7:  23;  Rom.  9: 
13,  18,  22;  1  Peter  2:8;  Jude  4. 

The  great  purpose  of  both  Election  and  Reprobation,  is  the 
glorification  of  God.  Prov.  16:4:  "The  LORD  hath  made  all 
things  for  himself:  yea  even  the  wicked  for  the  day  of  evil." 

His  love,  eternal,  rich,  and  unspeakably  wonderful  and 
glorious,  shines  in  his  decree  of  Election.  His  righteousness 
manifests  itself  in  Reprobation.  But  we  are  to  remember  at 
all  times  what  the  Article  just  quoted  states  so  well:  "the 
decree  of  Reprobation  by  no  means  makes  God  the  author  of 
sin,  (the  very  thought  of  which  is  blasphemy),  but  declares 
him  to  be  an  awful,  irreprehensible  and  righteous  Judge  and 
Avenger." 

Among  the  Reformed  there  is  difference  of  opinion  as  to 
the  order  of  the  different  parts  of  the  decree  of  Predestination 
and  the  condition  in  which  God  considered  the  subjects  of  it. 
According  to  some,  God  in  his  eternal  decree  first  decided,  (in 
logical  order),  to  create  man,  and  then  decreed  the  Fall,  and 
finally  foreordained  to  choose  some  to  salvation,  passing  by 
the  others.  This  is  called  Infra-Lapsarism,  a  term  signify- 
ing "below  the  Fall."  Compare  Rom.  9:22,  23;  Eph.  1:4; 
2  Tim.  1:9;  1  Peter  1:2. 


144  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

According  to  others,  the  decree  of  Election  and  Reproba- 
tion preceded  (also  in  logical  order),  the  decree  of  God  con- 
cerning the  Fall.  (Chap.  IV.)  This  is  called  Supra-Lapsarism, 
signifying  "above  the  Fall."  Compare  Prov.  16:  4;  Isa.  10:  15; 
45:9;  Matt.  20:5;  Rom.  9:15. 

The  Conclusions  of  Utrecht,  (compare  Chap.  XV.),  state 
that  the  Standards  of  the  Reformed  Churches  undoubtedly  pre- 
sent the  Infra-Lapsarian  view,  but  that  the  wording  of  Canon 
I.,  Art.  7,  as  well  as  the  deliberations  of  the  Synod  of  Dord- 
recht, show  that  this  was  not  designed  to  exclude  or  condemn 
the  supra-lapsarian  view. 

Dr.  H.  Bavinck  states:  "Neither  the  one  nor  the  other  of 
the  two  representations  is  able  to  comprise  the  full,  rich  truth 
of  Scripture  concerning  this  matter,  nor  to  satisfy  our  theo- 
logical thinking.  The  relation  of  things  is  so  rich  and  so 
complex  that  it  cannot  be  expressed  in  one  word,  infra-  or 
supra-lapsarism." 

The  doctrine  of  Election  is  very  important.  It  has  justly 
been  called  the  "heai't  of  the  Church."  Without  Election 
there  would  be  no  salvation,  since  sin  has  so  thoroughly 
ruined  us,  that  we  could  not  save  ourselves.  God  had  to  make 
provision.  It  seems  strange  that  any  one  should  deny  this. 
And  yet  it  has  been  done,  and  is  being  done,  times  without 
number.  One  of  the  reasons  why  people  oppose  the  doc- 
trine is  evidently  because  it  reveals  so  plainly  the  sover- 
eignty of  God,  and  the  proud  heart  of  man  hates  this  by 
nature.  Another  reason  is  that  the  unenlightened  mind  is  un- 
able to  comprehend  it  savingly.  PLnemies  of  the  Reformed  re- 
ligion have  created  prejudice  against  it  by  false  representa- 
tions of  the  matter,  as  if  Predestination  means  that  "God  has 
predestined  a  part  of  mankind,  without  any  fault  of  theirs,  to 
eternal  damnation,  and  that  therefore  He  blinds  and  hardens 
the  heart  of  sinners."  (DeHarbe's  Catechism,  [Roman  Catho- 
lic], 6th  ed.,  p.  44.) 

What  also  has  prejudiced  some  against  the  doctrine  is, 
that  it,  alas,  has  been  abused  by  people  inside  the  Reformed 
Churches,  who  have  perverted  it  to  their  own  ruin  as  an  ex- 
cuse for  sin  and  sloth.  But  nevertheless  the  doctrine,  in  its 
true  presentation,  is  thoroughly  biblical  and  worthy  of  all  ac- 
ceptance.   And  to  a  believer  it  becomes  a  source  of  wonderful 


THE  CHURCH  (Cont'd)  LAST  THINGS  145 

comfort.  For  it  assures  him  that  his  salvation  is  firm  and 
sure  in  God,  and  not  depending  on  the  exercise  of  his  will, 
nor  subject  to  his  ever-varying  fears  and  feelings. 

May  God  grant  us  to  obey  Peter's  command,  to  make  sure 
our  calling  and  election.  And  to  our  encouragement  we  may 
well  quote  the  true  saying  that,  while  Election  is  thoroughly 
sovereign  and  free,  "as  a  rule  it  takes  a  definite  course, 
proceeding  along  the  line  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace.  Gener- 
ally the  elect  are  Covenant  children.  This  is  attested  by  the 
fact  that  the  Church  is  continued  in  successive  generations. 
There  are  exceptions  to  the  rule,  however,  and  therefore, 
though  encouraging  to  the  members  of  the  Covenant,  it  gives 
no  ground  for  false  assurance."     (Prof.  W.  Heyns.) 

The  first  Canon  of  Dordrecht  beautifully  closes  its  declar- 
ations concerning  the  doctrine  as  follows: 

Article  16.  Those  who  do  not  yet  experience  a  lively 
faith  in  Christ,  an  assured  confidence  of  soul,  peace  of  con- 
science, an  earnest  endeavor  after  filial  obedience,  and  glory- 
ing in  God  through  Christ,  efficaciously  wrought  in  them,  and 
do  nevertheless  persist  in  the  use  of  the  means  which  God 
hath  appointed  for  working  these  graces  in  us,  ought  not  to 
be  alarmed  at  the  mention  of  reprobation,  nor  to  rank  them- 
selves among  the  reprobate,  but  diligently  to  persevere  in 
the  use  of  means,  and  with  ardent  desires,  devoutly  and  hum- 
bly to  wait  for  a  season  of  richer  grace.  Much  less  cause 
have  they  to  be  terrified  by  the  doctrine  of  reprobation,  who, 
though  they  seriously  desire  to  be  turned  to  God,  to  please 
him  only,  and  to  be  delivered  from  the  body  of  death,  cannot 
yet  reach  that  measure  of  holiness  and  faith  to  which  they 
aspire;  since  a  merciful  God  has  promised  that  he  will  not 
quench  the  smoking  flax,  nor  break  the  bruised  reed.  But  this 
doctrine  is  justly  terrible  to  those,  who,  regardless  of  God  and 
of  the  Savior  Jesus  Christ,  have  wholly  given  themselves  up 
to  the  cares  of  the  world,  and  the  pleasures  of  the  flesh,  so 
long  as  they  are  not  seriously  converted  to  God. 

Article  17.  Since  we  are  to  judge  of  the  will  of  God 
from  his  "Word,  which  testifies  that  the  children  of  believers 
are  holy,  not  by  nature,  but  in  virtue  of  the  covenant  of  grace, 
in  which  they,  together  with  the  parents,  are  comprehended, 
godly  parents  have  no  reason  to  doubt  of  the  election  and  sal- 
vation of  their  children,  whom  it  pleaseth  God  to  call  out  of 
this  life  in  their  infancy. 

Article  18.  To  those  who  murmur  at  the  free  grace  of 
election,  and  just  severity  of  reprobation,  we  answer  with 
the  apostle:  'Nay,  but,  O  man,  who  art  thou  that  repliest 
against   God?'  Rom.  9:30.     And  quote  the  language   of  our 


146  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

Savior,  'Is  it  not  lawful  for  me  to  do  what  I  will  with  mine 
own?'  Matt.  20:  15.  And  therefore  with  holy  adoration  of 
these  mysteries,  we  exclaim  in  the  words  of  the  apostle:  *0 
the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of 
God!  how  unsearchable  are  his  judgments,  and  his  ways  past 
finding  out!  For  who  hath  known  the  mind  of  the  Lord,  or 
who  hath  been  his  counsellor?  or  who  hath  first  given  to  him, 
and  it  shall  be  recompensed  unto  him  again?  For  of  him,  and 
through  him,  and  to  him  are  all  things:  to  whom  be  glory 
for  ever.    Amen.'  " 

2)  Calling.  Rom.  8:30  declares:  "and  whom  he  fore- 
ordained them  he  also  called."  This  shows  thai  God's  decree 
of  Election,  made  in  eternity,  is  carried  out  in  time,  by  the 
Calling  or  Vocation  of  the  chosen. 

We  speak  of  two  kinds  of  Calling,  the  one  external  or 
outward,  and  the  other  internal  or  inward.  Matt.  22:14: 
"Many  are  called,  but  few  chosen." 

I.  The  external  calling  may  be  divided  into  two  classes: 
the  general  calling  through  Nature,  History  and  Providence; 
and  the  outward  calling  through  the  Word  of  God. 

(a)  About  the  general  calling.  Job  33:  14-16  informs  us: 
"For  God  speaketh  once,  yea  twice,  though  men  regardeth  it 
not.  In  a  dream,  in  a  vision  of  the  night,  When  deep  sleep 
falleth  upon  men,  in  slumberings  upon  the  bed.  Then  he  open- 
eth  the  ears  of  men  and  sealeth  their  instruction," 

Acts  17:  26-28:  "Having  determined  their  appointed  sea- 
sons, and  the  bounds  of  their  habitations;  that  they  should 
seek  God,  if  haply  they  may  feel  after  him.  though  he  is  not 
far  from  each  one  of  us."    Compare  Rom.  1: 19,  21;  Ps.  19:  4. 

In  a  general  way  this  calling  points  us  to  God,  to  our  need 
of  seeking  him,  the  blessedness  of  linding  him.  etc.  It  is  called 
general  because  it  comes  to  all  people.  Nature  tells  all  men 
of  the  existence  of  God.  History  plainly  reveals  the  hand  of 
God.  And  Providence,  as  it  brings  various  experiences  to  us 
all,  points  to  a  "Divinity  that  shapes  our  ends,  rou2h-hew 
them  how  we  will." 

(b)  Uusually  the  term  outward  calling  is  applied  to  ilie 
calling  through  the  Word  of  God  as  it  comes  to  us  with  its 
demands  and  invitation  to  repent  of  sin  and  to  turn  to  God 
and  his  Christ  in  faith.  While  general  calling  comes  to  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  the  outward  calling  through  the 


THE  CHURCH  (Cont'd)  LAST  THINGS  147 

Word,   reaches   all   within   the   sound   of  the  gospel.     Art.   3, 
Canon  I.  declares: 

"And  that  men  may  be  brought  to  believe,  God  mercifully 
sends  the  messengers  of  these  most  joyful  tidings,  to  whom  he 
will  and  at  what  time  he  pleaseth;  by  whose  ministry  men  are 
called  to  repentance  and  faith  in  Christ  crucified.  Rom.  10: 
14,  15.  "How  then  shall  they  call  on  him  in  whom  they  have 
not  believed?  And  how  shall  they  believe  in  him  of  whom 
they  have  not  heard?  And  how  shall  they  hear  without  a 
preacher?    And  how  shall  they  preach  except  they  be  sent?' " 

This  external  Calling  is  not,  as  Arminians  would  have  it. 
an  assurance  to  each  hearer  of  the  gospel  that  Christ  died  for 
him  personally,  (compare  Chapter  XII.,  II.),  but  rather,  as  Dr. 
Charles  Hodge  puts  it,  it  includes:  1)  "a  declaration  of  the 
plan  of  salvation;  2)  a  declaration  of  duty  on  the  part  of  the 
sinner  to  repent  and  believe;  3)  a  declaration  of  the  motives 
which  ought  to  influence  the  sinner's  mind,  such  as  fear  or 
hope,  remorse  or  gratitude;  4)  a  promise  of  acceptance  in  the 
case  of  all  who  comply  with  the  conditions." 

This  call  is  addressed  equally  to  all  who  hear  the  gospel, 
as  stated  by  Matt,  22:14,  commanded  in  Mark  16:15,  while 
judgment  is  pronounced  upon  those  who  reject  it,  John  3: 19; 
^ohn  16:9. 

In  Canon  III,  IV,  Art.  8,  the  Reformed  Churches  declare: 
"As  many  as  are  called  by  the  gospel  are  unfeignedly  called. 
For  God  hath  most  earnestly  and  truly  declared  in  his  Word, 
what  will  be  acceptable  to  him,  namely,  that  all  who  are 
called  should  comply  with  the  invitation.  He,  moreover, 
seriously  promises  eternal  life  and  rest  to  as  many  as  shall 
come  to  him  and  believe  on  him." 

Let  us  appreciate  this  external  calling  wherein  God  re- 
veals his  love,  maintains  his  claims,  upholds  our  moral  na- 
ture, and  appeals  to  our  sense  of  responsibility,  reverence 
and  duty! 

II.  To  be  actually  saved,  however,  w^e  need  more  than 
this  outward  calling.  This  is  because  by  nature  we  are  blind, 
in  a  spiritual  sense,  dead  in  tresspasses  and  sins  and  rebel- 
lious. (1  Cor.  2:14,  Prov.  1:24).  In  the  case  of  his  elect 
people  therefore  God  adds  to  this  external  calling  a  second 
kind  of  vocation,  the  internal  calling. 

Internal  calling  has  also  been  divided  into  two  kinds:  the 
creative  calling  of  God,  and  the  effectual  calling. 


148  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

(a)  The  creative  calling  is  named  thus  from  Gen.  1, 
wherein  God  is  represented  repeatedly  as  calling  things  into 
existence  by  the  word  of  his  command  ("and  God  said"),  and 
from  Rom.  4:  17  speaking  of  "God,  who  giveth  life  from  the 
dead,  and  calleth  things  that  are  not  as  though  they  were." 
This  creative  calling  results  in  regeneration  in  the  narrow 
sense,  the  implanting  of  new  spiritual  life,  as  explained  in 
Chapter  XV.  It  has  been  compared  to  the  imparting  of  organs 
of  spiritual  sight  and  hearing.     (See  p.  125.) 

(b)  The  second  kind  of  internal  calling  is  named  effectual 
calling  and  is  usually  referred  to  when  we  speak  of  inward 
vocation.  It  may  be  defined  as  "the  work  of  God's  Spirit," 
(applying  God's  Word),  "whereby,  convincing  us  of  sin  and 
misery,  enlightening  our  minds  in  the  knowledge  of  Christ, 
and  renewing  our  wills,  he  doth  persuade  and  enable  us  to 
embrace  Jesus  Christ,  freely  offered  to  us  in  the  gospel." 
(Sh.  Cat.) 

Effectual  calling  results  in  regeneration  in  the  wider 
sense:  the  first  manifestation  of  spiritual  life.  (See  Chapter 
XXIV.  on  Conversion.) 

It  has  been  compared  to  causing  the  implanted  organs  of 
sight  and  hearing  to  actually  see  and  hear.  In  1  Peter  2:  9  it 
is  named  a  calling  out  of  darkness  into  God's  marvelous  light. 
A  plain  example  of  effectual  calling  is  Lydia,  Acts  16:  14, 
"whose  heart  the  Lord  opened — to  give  heed  unto  the  things 
which  were  spoken  by  Paul."  Canons  II.,  IV.  contain  the  fol- 
lowing beautiful' declarations  of  the  subject  of  Calling: 

Article  11.  "But  when  God  accomplishes  his  good  pleas- 
ure in  the  elect,  or  works  in  them  true  conversion,  he  not  only 
causes  the  gospel  to  be  externally  preached  to  them,  and 
powerfully  illuminates  their  minds  by  his  Holy  Spirit,  that 
they  mav  rightlv  understand  and  discern  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God;  but  by  the  efiftcacy  of  the  same  regenerating 
Spirit,pervades  the  inmost  recesses  of  the  man;  he  opens  the 
closed,  and  softens  the  hardened  heart,  and  circumcises  that 
which  was  uncircumcised,  infuses  new  qualities  into  the  will, 
which  though  heretofore  dead,  he  cjuickens;  from  being  evil, 
disobedient \uk1  refractory,  he  renders  it  good,  obedient,  and 
pliable;  actuates  and  strengthen.i  it,  that  like  a  good  tree,  it 
may  bring  forth  the  fruits  of  good  actions," 

3)  The  called  persons  form  a  Communion,  in  the 
Apostles'    Creed    called    "Communion    of   Saints."     The    Hei- 


THE  CHURCH  (Cont'd)  LAST  THINGS  149 


delberg  Catechism  defines  this  as  follows  in  the  answer  to  Q. 
55.    "What  do  you  understand  by  "the  communion  of  saints?" 

"First,  that  all  and  tvery  one,who  believes,being  members 
of  Christ,are  in  common,partakers  of  him,and  of  all  his  riches 
and  gifts:  secondly,  that  every  one  must  know  it  to  be  his 
duty,  readily  and  cheerfully  to  employ  his  gifts,  for  the  ad- 
vantage and  salvation  of  other  members." 

Read:  John  1:  3,  4;  Rom.  8:  32;  1  Cor.  12:  13;  1  Cor.  13:  5; 
Phil.  2:4,  5,  6. 

This  Communion  is  wider  than  congregational  or  denomi- 
national limits.  It  is  not  always  realized  as  it  should  be.  But 
to  feel  something  of  it  in  the  heart  is  a  blessed  experience. 
And  it  is  an  important  responsibility  which  it  involves:  to 
strengthen  the  weak  brother,  to  defend  the  assailed,  to  com- 
fort the  grief-stricken,  to  raise  the  fallen  and  to  cheer  the 
faint!    May  God  make  us  faithful! 

The  Communion  of  the  saints  is  also  very  helpful  to  the 
believer  himself.  As  a  rule  we  feel  the  need  of  company,  ad- 
vice and  assistance  of  others.  To  stand  alone  as  some  of  the 
great  figures  of  history,  is  something  for  which  most  of  us 
are  evidently  not  equipped.  Even  Elijah  complained  about 
it  that  he  was  left  alone,  I.  Kings  18:  22;  19: 10,  14,  as  well  as 
Paul,  2  Tim.  4:1.  The  Communion  of  saints  supplies  or 
should  supply  this  need  of  having  others  share  our  troubles 
and  counsel  with  us  regarding  our  problems.  Moreover,  the 
social  instincts  which  the  regenerated  persons  as  well  as  the 
unregenerated  ones  possess  find  their  sphere  and  exercise  in 
this  Communion,  based  on  God's  election  and  calling  as  One 
Body  of  Christ,  and  stronger  and  more  enduring  than  ties  of 
family,  tribe,  nation  or  race.    May  we  often  experience: 

"Blest  be  the  tie  that  binds 

Our  hearts  in  Christian  love; 
The  fellowship  of  kindred  minds 
Is  like  to  that  above. 

Before  our  Eather's  throne 

We  pour  our  ardent  prayers; 
Our  fears,  our  hopes,  our  aims  are  one. 

Our  comforts  and  our  cares. 

We  share  our  mutual  woes; 

Our  mutual  burdens  bear; 
And  often  for  each  other  flows 

The  sympathizing  tear." 


150  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

4)  The  Second  Coming.  At  the  end  of  the  present  dis- 
pensation of  grace,  Jesus  will  come  again,  for  Peter  assured 
us  that  the  heavens  were  to  receive  him  "until  the  restora- 
tion of  all  things."    Acts  3:  21. 

The  exact  time  of  this  Pxcturn  is  not  revealed,  Matt.  24: 
36-39. 

But  we  know  it  will  be  in  glory,  Matt.  16:27;  Christ  will 
come  bodily,  visibly,  locally,  with  clouds,  and  accompanied 
by  the  hosts  of  heaven.    Acts  1:11;  Rev.  1:7;  .hide  14. 

It  will  be  suddenly  and  without  immediate  warning. 
Matt.  24:27-42. 

It  will  be  accompanied  by  great  disturbances  in  nature. 
Matt.  24:29;  especially  in  the  starry  world. 

While  we  do  not  know  the  exact  time,  various  signs  are 
predicted  to  mark  the  coming  as  at  hand. 

1)  Much  increase  in  travel  and  in  learning.    Dan  12:4. 

2)  Perilous  times,  politically  and  socially.  2  Tim.  3:1; 
Matt.  24:1-12. 

3)  Increase  in  spiritualism.     1  Tim.  4:1. 

4)  An  awful  apostacy  or  falling  awa\  from  the  truth. 
2  Thess.  2:3. 

5)  World-wide  evangelism.     Matt.  24:  14. 

6)  Unprecendcnted  increase  in  the  heaping  up  of  liches. 
James  5:1,  8. 

7)  Great  movements  among  Israel.  Ez.  37:  1-8;  Isa.  27: 
12,  13;  Rom.  11:11-27;  Rev.  1:7. 

8)  Severe  persecution  of  the  faithful  Church.  Matt.  24: 
9,  21,  22. 

!))  The  arising  of  false  Christs  and  prophets,  performing 
signs  and  miracles,  so  much  that  if  it  were  possible,  they 
would  deceive  the  elect.    Matt.  24:29. 

10)  The  appearing  of  Antichrist.  This  Antichrist  is  to 
be  distinguished  from  the  false  Christs  just  mentioned.  While 
there  were  "many  antichrists"  already  in  John's  days,  (1  John 
2:18),  and  the  "spirit  of  antichrist"  (1  John  4:3),  has  been 
in  the  world  since  the  beginning,  in  all  that  denies  the  truth 
of  the  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  these  "many  antichrists" 
but  precede,  and  prepare  the  way  for  the  Antichrist,  some  in- 


THE  CHURCH  (Cont'd)  LAST  THINGS  151 

dividual,  who,  at  the  end  of  time,  when  the  restraining  grace 
oi"  (lod  is  withdrawn,  2  Thess.  2:7, will  he  a  culminating  mani- 
festation of  the  devil  and  become  the  head  of  reprobated  hu- 
manity, since  the  fall  without  a  head,  imitating  Christ  as  the 
head  of  the  chosen  people.  Coming  up  as  the  Beast  out  of  the 
Earth  (Rev.  13:  11-17),  identical  with  the  false  prophet  of  Rev. 
1():13;  19:20;  20:10;  he  will  set  up  an  organization  in  imitation 
of  the  true  Church,  Rev.  13:17,  and  make  himself  the  ecclesias- 
tical head  of  reprobate  humanity,  for  a  time  in  alliance  with 
ecclesiastical  Babylon  which  is  apostate  christianit\ ,  headed 
by  Papacy,  (Rev.  17:  LS). 

Some  present  day  writers  distinguish  between  this  Anti- 
christ as  the  last  "ecclesiastical  head,"  and  the  Beast  out  the 
Sea  of  Rev.  13:  1-10  as  the  last  "civil  head"  of  reprobate  hu- 
manit>,  the  little  horn  of  Dan.  7:24-26,  the  desolator  of  Dan. 
9:  27,  the  "man  of  sin"  of  2  Thess.  2:  4-8.  The  final  overthrow 
and  eternal  doom  of  the  anti-christian  powders  is  foretold  in 
Rev.  19:  20:  "And  the  Beast  was  taken,  and  with  him  the  false 
prophet  that  wrought  miracles  before  him,  with  which  he  had 
deceived  them  that  had  received  the  mark  of  the  Beast,  and 
them  that  worshipped  his  image.  These  both  were  cast  alive 
into  a  lake  of  fire,  burning  with  brimstone." 

"Scripture  teaches  plainly  that  the  anti-christian  power  .  .  . 
at  the  end  will  develop  itself  completely  in  a  general  falling 
away  and  breaking  of  all  natural  and  moral  ties,  and  then  em- 
bodies itself  in  a  world-empire,  which  takes  the  false  church 
into  its  service,  and  which  apotheoses  itself  in  the  deification 
of  the  head  of  that  empire.  Christ  himself,  through  his  ap- 
pearance, will  destroy  this  anti-christian  power  in  its  highest 
and  last  development."     (Bavinck). 

May  we  prayerfully  study  the  signs  of  the  times  and  con- 
stantly be  on  our  guard  lest  we  be  carried  away  by  the  great 
anti-christian  movements  as  they  appear  in  various  forms  in 
the  present  time. 

5)  The  Resurrection.  Rev.  20  tells  us  that,  at  the  end  of 
this  dispensation,  the  Devil  shall  be  "cast  into  the  lake  of 
fire  and  brimstone  where  the  Beast  and  the  false  Prophet 
are."  (Rev.  20:  10).  This  will  be  followed  by  the  appear- 
ance of  Christ  and  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.     (Rev.  20: 


152  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

11-13).  Often  times  the  doctrine  of  "the  resurrection  of  the 
bod\ ,"  as  the  Apostles'  Creed  speaks  of  it,  has  been  denied. 
The  Sadducees  of  Jesus'  times  have  to  this  da>  many  suc- 
cessors. Some  deny  its  very  possibility.  But  it  is  plainly 
taught  in  the  Bible,  and  no  matter  how  many  difficulties 
may  beset  it,  he  who  as  the  Almight>  was  able  to  bring  the 
Universe  into  being,  out  of  nothing,  and  at  the  word  of  his 
command,  is  certainly  able  to  fulfill  his  own  Word  and  raise 
the  dead.  The  resurrection  was  believed  by  the  patriarchs. 
Gen.  22:5  and  Heb.  11:9;  Job  19:25-27;  revealed  through  the 
Prophets,  Is.  26:19;  Dan.  11:2,  13,  and  miracles  of  restora- 
tion of  life  are  recorded  in  the  O.  T.,  2  Kings  4:  32,  35;  13:  21, 
as  well  as  in  the  N.  T.,  Matt.  9:25;  Luke  7:15;  John  11:44; 
Matt.  27:52,  53,  and  Acts  9:36;  20:9,  10.  This  was  anti- 
cipatory of  the  general  resurrection  at  the  end  of  the  N.  T. 
dispensation,  the  resurrection  of  both  the  just  and  of  the 
unjust.     John  5:  28. 

Concerning  the  bodies  of  the  unjust  we  learn  from  Is. 
66:24  that  they  shall  be  an  "abhorring  to  all  flesh,"  while 
Dan.  12:2  states  that  the  wacked  shall  "awake  to  shame  and 
everlasting  contempt."  They  will  not  be  turned  into  ashes 
as  Adventists  and  others  teach,  as  the  above  mentioned  texts 
clearly  show.  These  bodies  of  the  unjust  shall  be  immortal 
in  the  sense  that  they  shall  continue  to  exist.  But  in  their 
case  immortality  will  be  a  curse  instead  of  a  blessing.  May 
God  keep  us  from  such  a  lot!  About  the  bodies  of  the  re- 
deemed we  are  taught  that  they  are  going  to  be  glorious,  in- 
corruptible, powerful,  spiritual,  without  difference  of  sex, 
and  without  digestive  organs.  1  Cor.  15:42,  43,  44;  Matt.  22: 
30;  1  Cor.  6:13.  There  will  be  identity  between  the  body 
sown  and  the  body  raised.  Job  19:25-27  compared  to  1  Cor. 
15:35-37.  The  bodies  of  those  saints  who  shall  live  when 
Jesus  comes  will  be  changed  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 
1  Cor.  15:52:  "Behold  I  tell  you  a  mystery:  We  shall  not  all 
sleep,  but  we  shall  all  be  changed,  in  a  moment,  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  at  the  last  trump;  for  the  trumiJet  shall 
sound,  and  the  dead  shall  be  raised  incorruptible,  and  we 
shall  be  changed.  For  this  corruptible  must  put  on  incor- 
ruption,  and  this  mortal  must  put  on  immortality."  (Com- 
pare Rom.  8:  23;  Eph.  1: 13,  14.) 


THE  CHURCH  (Cont'd)  LAST  THINGS  153 

Some  distinguish  between  two  stages  or  kinds  of  resur- 
rection, separated  by  a  period  of  1000  years.  (Rev.  20:5). 
The  first  is  called  resurrection  of  life,  1  Cor.  15:22,  23,  and 
the  second  of  judgment,  Rev.  20:11-13.  According  to  this 
view,  at  the  first  Resurrection,  the  saints  of  the  ().  T.  and 
the  dead  in  Christ  will  be  raised,  and  with  the  watching  be- 
lievers of  the  latter  days  are  "to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air," 
which  latter  feature  is  called  the  Rapture,  1  Thess.  4:  16,  17. 
The  "Great  Tribulation"  will  then  take  place  on  earth,  with 
its  vortex  in  the  Holy  Land,  and  marked  by  the  cruel  reign 
of  the  "beast  out  of  the  sea,"  Rev.  13:  1,  the  "great  wrath"  of 
Satan,  Rev.  12: 12,  unprecedented  activity  of  demons,  Rev. 
9:2  and  11,  and  the  pouring  out  of  the  "bowls"  of  judgment 
of  Rev.  16.  This  is  to  last  three  and  one  half  years,-  or  the 
last  half  of  the  70th  week  of  Daniel,  9:24-27.  At  the  end  of 
these  three  and  one  half  years  Christ  is  believed  to  appear 
with  his  saints  from  heaven.  He  will  then  raise  his  be- 
lieving people,  re-establish  the  throne  of  David  in  .Jerusalem, 
sit  upon  it  in  bodily  form,  together  with  the  raised  saints, 
(some  say,  only  the  martyrs  of  the  Tribulation  period.  Rev. 
20:4),  and  reign  over  the  world  peopled  by  men  still  in  the 
flesh  and  following  the  usual  pursuits  of  mankind.  This 
earthly  reign  will  last  one  thousand  years,  (hence  it  is 
called  Millennium,  meaning  1000  years).  Satan  will  be 
bound  during  that  period,  but  at  its  close  will  be  loosed  for 
a  season,  deceive  the  nations  in  the  four  quarters  of  the 
earth,  Gog  and  Magog,  and  marshall  them  to  surround  the 
"camp  of  the  saints  and  the  beloved  city."  At  that  juncture 
fire  will  come  from  heaven  and  destroy  them;  ihe  devil  will 
be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,  where  the  beast  and  the  false 
prophet  are.  and  then  will  come  the  resurrection  of  "the 
rest  of  the  dead,"  to  be  followed  by  the  general  judgment. 
Rev.  20.  This  scheme  of  events  of  the  last  days  is  called 
pre-millinarian,  because  it  asserts  that  Christ  will  come  be- 
fore (pre)  the  Millennium.  Many  present  day  evangelists 
hold  this  view.  But  there  are  very  serious  objections  to  it. 
HistoricalK  it  is  of  Jewish  origin,  was  furthered  b>  such 
heretics  of  the  early  Church  as  the  Ebionites  and  Cerinthus, 
condemned  by  Augustine,  and  has  never  found  its  wa\  into 
the  Creeds  of  the  Evangelical  Churches,  but  rather  has  been 
rejected  by  name  in  several  Confessions.     Calvin  called  Mil- 


154  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

linarianisra  a  "fiction  too  puerile  to  require  or  deserve  refu- 
tation,"  (Institutes,  Book  III,  chapter  25). 

It  not  only  speaks  of  two  distinct  resurrections,  con- 
trary to  John  5:28,  29,  but  of  two  comings  of  Christ,  con- 
trary to  Acts  3:21,  Heb.  10:12,  13,  Luke  1!):  13.  It  posits 
the  restoratio^i  of  material  sacrifices  in  the  temple  in  Jeru- 
salem, contrary  to  Heb.  7:18,  1!),  9:10,  Gal.  4:3-9,  and  in- 
volves endless  difficulties  in  details,  so  that  premillennialists 
differ  w^idely  in  their  interpretations. 

The  basis  of  the  premillennial  view  is  Rev.  20:  1-7,  which 
is  interpreted  literally.  But  evidently  a  spiritual  being  as 
the  devil  cannot  be  bound  with  a  literal  "chain,"  nor  does 
the  pericope  speak  of  the  resurrected  saints  but  of  the  "souls" 
of  those  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus. 

The  most  acceptable  interpretiition  of  Rev.  20  evidently 
is  that  the  binding  of  Satan  involves  great  curtailment  of  his 
powers  during  a  definite  complete  period  (10  x  10  x  10) 
toward  the  end  of  the  ages,  notably  great  restriction  of  his 
influence  upon  "the  nations  in  the  four  quarters  (corners) 
of  the  earth,"  the  non-christian  peoples  who  formerly  tried 
to  ruin  God's  people  but  who  during  this  period  are  kept 
from  overwhelming  the  Church,  although  they  outnumber 
it  vastly. 

The  "reign"  of  the  saints  with  Christ  denotes  the  triumph 
of  the  principles  for  which  they  lived  and  died,  even  as 
John  the  Baptist  went  before  Christ  "in  the  spirit  and  power 
of  Elijah,"  Luke  1:17. 

(5)  The  Judgment.  After  the  general  resurrection  of 
the  righteous  and  the  unrighteous  comes  the  general  judg- 
ment of  the  quick  and  the  dead.  Some  pre-millennialists 
speak  of  as  many  as  four  different  judgments.  But  the  uni- 
form doctrine  of  the  orthodox  Church  has  alwa>s  been  that 
there  will  be  one  final  judgment  at  the  end  of  this  disixMi- 
sation,  at  the  appointed  day  when  God,  through  Christ,  will 
judge  the  world  in  righteousness.  Acts  17:30,  31.  The  Son 
of  man  will  be  the  judge,  John  5:27,  before  whom  the  un- 
godly will  quail.  Rev.  G:  15-17.  The  angels  will  be  helpers 
in  this  judgment.  Matt.  13:30.  The  believers  also  will  ap- 
pear before   the  judgment   seat   of   Christ,   2   Cor,   5:10,   but 


THE   CHURCH  (Cont'd)  LAST  THINGS  155 

evidently  before  the  rest,  since  the  saints  are  said  to  judge 
the  world,  1  Cor.  6:2,  3,  and  to  the  apostles  was  promised 
the  judging  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  Matt.  19:30. 

In  the  judgment  we  distinguish:  1)  the  examination,  at 
the  opening  of  the  books,  Rev.  20:  12;  2)  the  giving  of  an 
account,  even  of  idle  words  spoken.  Matt.  12:36;  3)  the 
pronouncing  of  judgment,  "according  to  that  he  hath  done, 
whether  it  be  good  or  bad,"  2  Cor.  5:  10,  but  the  sins  of  the 
believers  outweighed  by  the  merits  of  their  Savior.  The 
final  stage  is  4)  the  execution  of  sentence,  the  just  being 
bidden  welcome  to  the  glory  of  Christ,  the  unjust  consigned 
to  unending  misery,  Matt.  25:31-46. 

The  fallen  angels  also  are  to  be  judged,  unto  condemna- 
tion, to  be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  with  all  whose  names 
are  not  found  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life.  Rev.  20:  15. 

Art.  XXXVII.  of  the  Confession  contains  the  following 
solemn  description  of  the  Last  Judgment: 

"Finally  we  believe,  according  to  the  Word  of  God,  when 
the  time  appointed  by  the  Lord  (which  is  unknown  to  all 
creatures)  is  come,  and  the  number  of  elect  complete,  that  our 
Lord  .lesus  Christ  will  come  from  heaven,  corporall>  and 
visibly,  as  he  ascended,  with  great  glory  and  majesty  to  de- 
clare himself  judge  of  the  quick  and  the  dead;  burning  this 
old  world  with  Are  and  flame,  to  cleanse  it.  And  then  all  men 
will  personally  appear  before  this  great  judge,  both  men  and 
women  and  children,  that  have  been  from  the  beginning  of 
the  world  to  the  end  thereof,  being  summoned  by  the  voice  of 
the  archangel,  and  by  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  of  God.  For 
all  the  dead  shall  be  raised  out  of  the  earth,  and  their  souls 
joined  and  united  with  their  proper  bodies,  in  which  they 
formerly  lived.  As  for  those  who  shall  then  be  living,  they 
shall  not  die  as  the  others,  but  be  changed  in  the  twinkling  of 
an  eye,  and  from  corruptible,  become  incorruptible.  Then  the 
books  (that  is  to  say  the  consciences)  shall  be  opened,  and 
the  dead  judged  according  to  what  they  shall  have  done  in 
this  world,  whether  it  be  good  or  evil.  Nay,  all  men  shall  give 
an  acount  of  every  idle  word  they  have  spoken,  which  the 
world  only  counts  amusement  and  jest:  and  then  the  secrets 
and  hypocrisy  of  men  shall  be  disclosed  and  laid  open  before 
all.  And  therefore  the  consideration  of  this  judgment,  is 
justly  terrible  and  dreadful  to  the  wicked  and  the  ungodly, 
but  most  desirable  and  comfortable  to  the  righteous  and  elect: 
because  then  their  full  deliverance  shall  be  perfected,  and 
there  they  shall  receive  the  fruits  of  their  labor  and  trouble, 
which  thev  have  borne.    Their  innocence  shall  be  known  to 


156  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


all,  and  they  shall  see  the  terrible  vengeance  which  God  shall 
execute  on  the  wicked,  who  most  cruelly  persecuted,  op- 
pressed and  tormented  them  in  this  world;  and  who  shall  be 
convicted  by  the  testimony  of  their  own  consciences,  and  be- 
ing immortal,  shall  be  tormented  in  that  everlasting  fire, 
which  is  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  But  on  the 
contrary,  the  faithful  and  elect  shall  be  crowned  with  glory 
and  honor;  and  the  Son  of  God  will  confess  their  names  be- 
fore God  his  Father,  and  his  elect  angels;  all  tears  shall  be 
wiped  from  their  eyes;  and  their  cause  which  is  now  con- 
demned by  many  judges  and  magistrates,  as  heretical  and  im- 
pious, will  then  be  known  to  be  the  cause  of  the  Son  of  God. 
And  for  a  gracious  reward,  the  Lord  will  cause  them  to  pos- 
sess such  a  glory,  as  never  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to 
conceive.  Therefore  we  expect  that  great  day  with  a  most 
ardent  desire,  to  the  end  that  we  may  fully  enjoy  the  promises 
of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.    Amen. 

'Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus.' — Rev.  22:20." 

7)  Eternal  Life  and  Eternal  Death.  That  the  wicked 
shall  be  punished  was  shown  in  Chapter  V.  The  punishment 
of  eternal  death  begins  already  when  one  dies  impenitently. 

We  do  not  believe  in  Soul-sleep  during  the  interval  be- 
tween death  and  resurrection  as  Adventists  and  Russellites 
teach.  The  parable  of  the  Rich  Man  and  Lazarus  teaches  us, 
"the  rich  man  died,  and  in  hell  lifted  up  his  eyes,  being  in 
torment."    That  teaches  both,  consciousness  and  pain. 

That  death  is  sometimes  called  sleep  in  the  Bible  is  be- 
cause it  appears  to  be  a  sleeping.  But  even  while  asleep  our 
brain  is  often  active.    Compare  Phil.  1:  23,  Rev.  6:  9. 

We  also  reject  the  doctrine  of  Second  Probation  which 
teaches  that  men  will  have  another  opportunity  to  repent. 
"Behold  now  is  the  accepted  time,  behold  now  is  the  day  of 
salvation."  2  Cor.  6:2.  Compare  Rom.  1:20,  32;  2:12;  and 
Rev.  21 :  8. 

Fearful  will  be  the  condition  of  the  lost.     (Chapter  VI.) 

It  will  be  in  an  awful  place,  hell;  a  lake  of  fire.  Rev.  21:  8: 
a  bottomless  pit,  Rev.  9:2,  etc.  It  will  be  in  terrible  society, 
that  of  the  devils  and  the  damned,  deprived  of  every  blessing, 
subjected  to  the  feeling  of  God's  unbearable  wrath,  with  con- 
science gnawing  as  a  worm  that  never  dies,  and  without  hope! 

And  that  forever  and  ever!    May  God  keep  us  from  it! 

See  Chapter  V.  about  the  everlasting  character  of  this 


THE   CHURCH  (Cont'd)  LAST  THINGS  157 

punishmt'iit  and  Chapter  XI.  on  the  Ininiortality  of  the  soul, 
denied  by  Adventists  and  others  who  teach  "Conditional 
Immortality." 

The  Roman  Catholics  claim  that  there  is  a  special  part  of 
hell  set  aside  for  unbaptized  children,  called  "Limbus  Infan- 
tum," but  we  reject  this  doctrine  as  without  biblical  founda- 
tion. We  also  refuse  to  accept,  on  the  same  ground,  their 
teaching  about  the  "Limbus  Patrum,"  or  region  wherein  the 
believers  of  the  Old  Testament  were  until  Christ  descended 
thither  after  his  death.     (Chapter  XIV.) 

The  Roman  Catholic  teaching  about  Purgatory  as  a  place 
in  which  imperfect  believers  are  purged  from  their  sin,  helped 
by  the  masses  for  the  dead,  we  consider  unbiblical  as  we  infer 
from  Jesus'  promise  to  the  dying  thief:  "today  thou  shall  be 
with  me  in  Paradise,"  etc.  That  Paradise  signifies  heaven  is 
plain  from  2  Cor.  12:  4,  compared  with  2  Cor.  12:  2,  and  from 
Rev.  2:  7,  compared  with  Rev.  22:  2. 

A  literal  view  of  some  of  the  details  of  the  parable  of 
Dives  and  Lazarus,  and  a  literal  interpretation  of  some  Old 
Testament  texts,  has  led  old  Church  fathers  and  newer  theo- 
logians to  represent  Hades  (the  New  Testament  word  for  the 
Old  Testament  Sheol)  as  a  place  where  both  the  righteous  and 
the  unrighteous  dwell  together  till  the  .ludgment  Day,  as  a 
common  Realm  of  the  Dead.     (Doodenrijk.) 

The  uniform  faith  of  the  Christian  Church,  however,  is, 
that  a  separation  takes  place  at  death  between  the  ungodly  and 
the  godly.  The  ungodly,  like  Judas,  go  to  their  "own  place," 
Acts  1:25,  to  lift  up  their  eyes  in  hell,  Luke  16:23;  being  in 
anguish,  Luke  1():24,  25;  "in  prison,"  1  Peter  3:  19;  "sutfering 
the  punishment  of  eternal  fire,"  Jude  7. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Church  of  Christ  teaches  that  the 
soul  of  a  true  believer  "after  this  life  shall  be  immediately 
taken  up  to  Christ,  its  head,"  (Heidelberg  Cat.,  Q.  57),  on  the 
ground  of  Phil.  1:23  and  Ps.  73:24,  and  as  stated  in  the  case 
of  Lazarus.  Luke  16:22.  Paul  spoke  of  being  "absent  from 
the  body"  as  being  "at  home  with  the  Lord,"  2  Cor.  5:8. 
Rev.  6:  9-11  represents  the  souls  under  the  altar  as  both  in 
heaven  and  conscious. 

On  account  of  the  absence  of  the  body,  however,  and  the 


158  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

incompleteness  of  the  victory  of  their  Lord  over  sin  and  Satan, 
the  joy  of  the  salvation  of  the  redeemed  in  heaven  during  the 
"intermediate  state"  will  not  be  as  complete  as  later  on. 

The  full  enjoyment  of  eternal  life  will  be  granted  after 
the  Resurrection  and  the  Judgment,  when  Christ  fultils  his 
promise  of  Matt.  25:  34:  "Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  in- 
herit the  Kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of 
the  world." 

Eternal  Life  will  be  the  everlasting  portion  of  the  re- 
deemed. It  will  be  spent  in  a  glorious  place,  heaven,  the 
City  of  the  King,  the  Father's  House  with  many  mansions, 
Paradise.  It  will  be  spent  in  the  best  society,  the  angels  and 
the  I'edeemed.  It  will  consist  in  enjoying  God,  knowing  God, 
being  glorified,  sanctified,  perfect,  and  sharing  in  the  glory 
and  Kingdom  of  Him  who  loved  them  with  an  everlasting 
love,  who  redeemed  them  with  his  blood,  who  cleansed  them 
from  every  blemish,  and  in  whose  glorification  and  service 
they  will  find  unspeakable  and  complete  satisfaction,  thus 
reaching  the  purpose  of  their  creation  and  redemption. 
Neither  will  a  glorious  reward  be  lacking.     (Chapter  XVIII.) 

May  God  in  sovereign  mercy  grant  to  all  who  read  this  a 
portion  with  the  saints  in  the  light! 

Then  we  will  not  be  troubled  though  the  heavens  and  the 
earth  that  now  exist,  shall  pass  away,  with  a  great  noise,  and 
the  elements  melt  with  fervent  heat,  and  the  earth  also  and 
all  the  works  that  are  therein  shall  be  burned  up,  for  accord- 
ing to  His  promise  we  look  for  a  new,  that  is,  a  renewed 
heaven  and  earth,  in  which  righteousness  shall  dwell.  2  Peter 
3:7-13. 

"Before  me  place,  in  bright  array 
The  pomp  of  that  tremendous  day 
\\Tien  thou  with  clouds  shall  come, 
To  judge  the  nations  at  thy  bar; 
And  tell  me,  Lord,  shall  I  be  there 
To  meet  a  joyful  doom?" 

"Be  this  my  one  great  business  here, 
With  holy  trembling,  holy  fear, 

To  make  my  calling  sure! 
Thine  utmost  counsel  to  fulfill. 
And  suffer  all  thy  righteous  will 

And  to  the  end  endure." 


THE  CHURCH  (Cont'd)  LAST  THINGS  159 

"Then  Savior,  then  m\  soul  receive, 
Transported  from  this  vale,  to  live 

And  reign  with  thee  above; 
Where  faith  is  sweetly  lost  in  sight, 
And  hope  in  full  supreme  delight 

And  everlasting  love." 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Can  you  prove  that  the  Church  of  God  is  "chosen  to  eternal  life"? 

2  Which  are  the  two  parts  of  predestination? 

3  What  was  the  cause  of  the  election  to  life? 
i  Prove  that  election  is  personal. 

5  What  place  does  Christ  occupy  in  this  election? 

6  Which  is  the  purpose  of  both  election  and  reprobation? 

7  What  is  the  difference  between  Infra  Lapsarism  and  Supra  Lapsarism? 

8  Show  the  importance  of  maintaining  the  doctrine  of  election. 

9  Are  there  reasons  to  encourage  us  in  making  sure  our  personal  election? 

10  What  is  embraced  in  the  external  calling? 

11  What  is  included  in  the  internal  calling? 

12  What  is  the  effect  of  the  internal  calling? 

13  What  is  meant  by  the  Communion  of  Saints? 

li  Describe  the  character  of  Christ's  Second  Coming. 

15  Which  signs  will  precede  the  Second  Coming? 

16  What  do  you  think  of  Antichrist? 

17  What  can  you  say  about  the  resurrection  of  the  body? 

18  What  is  the  most  acceptable  view  about  the  Millennium? 

19  What  can  you  tell  about  the  Last  Judgment? 

20  Describe  eternal  life  and  eternal  death. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 


JUSTIFICATION,     THE     PROFIT     OF     FAITH,    AND     THE 
ORIGIN  OF  FAITH. 


Q.   43      What  doth  it  profit  thee  now  that  thou  believest  all  this? 

A.  That  I  am  righteous  in  Christ  before  God.     Rom.  5:  10. 

Q.   44     How  art  thou  righteous  before  God? 

A.  Only  by  a  true  faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Q.  45  How  is  it  to  be  understood  that  thou  art  justified  by  faith 
only? 

A.  Thus:       that    the    perfect    satisfaction    and    righteousness    of 

Christ  alone  are  imputed  to  me  of  God  by  which  my  sins 
are  forgiven  me,  and  I  become  an  heir  of  everlasting  life ; 
and  that  I  cannot  receive  that  righteousness  by  any  other 
means  than  by  faith. 

Q.  46  Why  cannot  our  good  works  be  our  righteousness  before  God 
or  some  part  thereof? 

A.  Because  even  our  best  works,  in  this  life,  are  imperfect,  and 

polluted  with  sins. 

Q.  47  Do  our  good  works  then  merit  nothing,  which  yet  God  will 
reward  in  this,  and  in  a  future  life? 

A.  This  reward  is  not  given  out  of  merit,  but  of  grace. 

Q.   48      Who  worketh  that  faith  in  thee? 

A.  The  Holy  Ghost. 

Q.    49      By  what  means? 

A.  By  the  hearing  of  the  word  preached.     Rom.   10:  14-17. 

Q.   50      How  does  he  strengthen  that  faith? 

A.  By  the  same  Word  preached,  and  by  the  use  of  the  holy  sacra- 

ments. 

In  Chapter  VII.  we  discussed  the  Nature  of  Faith.  The 
Chapters  VIII.  to  XVII.  were  devoted  to  the  Object  of  Faith  as 
contained  in  the  Apostles'  Creed,  treated  in  Q.  21  to  42  of  the 
Compendium.  With  Q.  43  the  Compendium  returns  to  this 
starting  point,  by  inquiring:  "What  doth  it  profit  thee  now 
that  thou  believest  all  this?"  In  other  words,  it  inquires 
about  the  profit  or  fruit  of  Faith,  (Q.  43-47),  while  Q.  48-50 
are  occupied  with  the  origin  and  the  strengthening  of  Faith. 

Accordingly,  in  this  Chapter,  we  shall  discuss  (1)  the  Pro- 
fit or  Fruit  of  Faith;  (2)  Faith's  Origin;  and  (3)  its  Strengthen- 
ing. 


JUSTIFICATION,  THE  PROFIT  AND  ORIGIN  OF  FAITH  161 

I.  The  Profit  or  Fruit  of  Faith  is  usually  called  Justifica- 
tion, a  very  important  part  of  christian  truth.  It  was  one  of 
the  great  doctrines  of  grace  around  which  the  Reformation 
struggle  centered. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  identified  Sanctification 
(Chapter  XXV.)  and  Justification.  It  stated  that  Justification 
included  (1)  Cleansing  from  all  grievous  sins  together  with 
the  remission  of  eternal  punishment;  and  (2)  Sanctification  or 
renewal  of  the  inner  man. 

The  Council  of  Trent  asserted  that  the  sinner  in  receiv- 
ing the  sacrament  of  Baptism  or  Penance  receives  sanctifying 
grace  and  remission  of  sin,  as  well  as  interior  sanctification, 
and  that  thus  he  is  really  made  just,  acceptable  to  God,  a  child 
of  God,  and  heir  of  heaven. 

The  contention  of  the  Reformation  leaders  was  that  Sanc- 
tification and  Justification  are  entirely  separate,  and  widely 
different  blessings.    The  following  are  the  main  distinctions: 

1)  In  Justification  God  imputes  the  righteousness  of 
Christ,  in  Sanctification  the  Spirit  infuses  grace; 

2)  In  Justification  the  guilt  of  sin  is  removed,  and  in 
Sanctification  its  pollution;  (Compare  Chapter  V.) 

3)  Justification  takes  place  without  us;  Sanctification 
within  us; 

4)  Justification  is  instantaneous  and  complete;  Sanctifi- 
cation a  slow  process  throughout  the  life  of  the  believer; 

5)  Justification  equally  frees  all  believers  before  God. 
but  Sanctification  is  not  equal  in  all. 

Besides  differing  in  the  conception  of  Justification  and 
Sanctification,  there  is  a  radical  difference  between  Roman 
Catholics  and  Protestants  as  to  the  means  of  Justification. 
Romanists  hold  that  we  are  justified  partly  by  faith  and  partly 
by  works,  while  the  great  contention  of  Luther  and  all  the 
Reformed  was  and  is  that  we  are  justified  by  faith  only,  with- 
out works. 

To  get  a  proper  view  of  this  important  doctrine,  let  us 
discuss  Justification  in:  (1)  its  Nature;  (2)  its  Ground;  (.3)  its 
Means;  (4)  its  Stages. 

1)  The  Nature  of  Justification.  "Justification,"  says  the 
Shorter  Catechism,  "is  an  act  of  God's  free  grace,  wherein  he 


162  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

pardoneth  all  our  sins,  and  accepteth  us  as  righteous  in  his 
sight,  only  for  the  righteousness  of  Christ  imputed  to  us,  and 
received  by  faith  alone." 

Answer  45  of  the  Compendium  enumerates  two  blessings 
as  the  two  parts  of  Justification:  forgiving  of  sin,  and  becom- 
ing an  heir  of  everlasting  life.  The  first  part  is  frequently 
called  remission  of  sin;  the  second,  adoption.  Both  of  these 
favors  are  mentioned  by  Paul,  Gal.  4:5:  "That  he  might 
redeem  them  that  were  under  the  law,  that  we  might  receive 
the  adoption  of  sons." 

The  Author  of  Justification  is  God,  particularly  God  the 
Father.  Rom.  8:32,  33:  "He  that  spared  not  his  own  Son,  but 
delivered  him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall  he  not  also  with  him 
freely  give  us  all  things?  Who  shall  lay  anything  to  the 
charge  of  God's  elect?  It  is  God  that  justifleth,  who  is  he 
that  shall  condemn?" 

The  word  "justify"  signifies  to  declare  or  reckon  just.  Its 
direct  opposite  is  to  condemn.  This  is  shown  by  the  text  just 
quoted  as  well  as  by  Prov.  17: 15,  etc. 

This  distinction  we  hold  over  against  the  Roman  Catho- 
lics who  take  the  word  in  the  sense  of  making  righteous. 

We  insist  that  it  means  to  declare  righteous.  Justification 
is  an  act  of  God  as  our  Judge,  and  consequently  called  a  foren- 
sic or  judicial  act  of  God.  By  nature  we  stand  before  God  as 
our  Judge,  as  guilty  in  Adam,  as  breakers  of  his  law,  and  un- 
der condemnation.  The  Bible  tells  us  we  are  by  nature  children 
of  wrath,  Eph.  2:  3,  with  the  wrath  of  God  upon  us,John  3:  36. 
But  when  we  are  justified,  God  pronounces  us  cleared  from 
the  guilt  of  sin,  released  from  its  condemning  power,  and  ac- 
cepted in  Christ.  Ps.  32:1,  2:  "Blessed  is  he  whose  trans- 
gression is  forgiven,  whose  sin  is  covered.  Blessed  is  the  man 
unto  whom  the  Lord  imputeth  not  iniquity."  This  act  of  our 
gracious  God  covers  all  our  sin,  past,  present,  original,  and 
actual.  It  also  covers  the  sins  of  the  future  in  the  sense  that 
they  shall  not  be  charged  to  the  believer,  and  this  is  equiva- 
lent to  a  forgiveness.  Coll.  2:  13:  "having  forgiven  us  all 
our  trespasses."    Isa.  1:  18;  Ps.  103:3,  12. 

The  forgiveness  mentioned  in  the  Lord's  Pra>  er  is  not  to 
be  taken  in  the  sense  of  judicial  pardon,  but  as  fatherly  for- 
giveness, whereby   the   Lord   assures  his   child   anew   of  his 


JUSTIFICETION,  THE  PROFIT  AND  ORIGIN  OF  FAITH  163 

pardon  in  Christ.  This  has  been  called  passive  Justification, 
in  distinction  from  the  active  Justification  by  faith.  In  it  God 
from  time  to  time  applies  to  the  heart  of  the  believer  the  for- 
giveness he  has  in  the  blood  of  the  Redeemer  in  whom  he 
trusts.    Blessed  the  man  whose  sin  has  been  covered! 

And  whatever  affliction  is  sent  to  the  believers  in  this  life 
as  a  consequence  of  sin,  is  not  sent  as  punishment  to  satisfy 
the  claims  of  justice,  (which  Christ  satisfied),  but  as  chastise- 
ment, to  correct  and  improve.    Ps.  89:  30-33;  Heb.  12:  6-10. 

It  is  a  great  privilege,  therefore,  to  be  justified  in  the  sense 
of  having  our  sins  pardoned  and  accounted  righteous  before 
God.  But  this  is  not  the  whole  of  the  great  blessing.  As 
stated  above,  it  contains  not  alone  Remission  of  sin,  but  also 
Adoption,  which  may  be  defined  as  an  act  of  God's  free  grace 
whereby  we,  for  Christ's  sake,  are  received  into  the  number, 
and  have  a  right  to  all  the  privileges  of  the  children  of  God. 
This  also  is  a  great  favor,  since  it  is  an  act  of  free  grace, 
bringing  a  new  name,  making  us  a  part  of  God's  family,  and 
assuring  us  of  fatherly  preservation,  fatherly  love,  fatherly 
provision,  fatherly  answers  to  our  prayers  and  a  filial  spirit. 

It  also  guarantees  us  fatherly  correction,  that  we  may  be 
trained  in  our  christian  character,  Heb.  12:5,  6,  and  finally, 
it  includes  a  glorious  inheritance,  as  joint-heirs  with  Christ, 
Rom.  8:17.  The  following  texts  plainly  show  various  feat- 
ures involved  in  Adoption.  Let  us  ponder  them  and  not  rest 
till  we  know  that  we  are  accepted  in  the  Beloved! 

Eph.  1:5:  "Having  predestinated  us  unto  the  adoption  of 
children  by  Jesus  Christ  to  himself,  according  to  the  good 
pleasure  of  his  will." 

1  John.  13:  1:  "Behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father 
hath  bestowed  upon  us,  that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of 
God." 

John  1:  12:  "But  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave 
he  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  be- 
lieve on  his  name." 

2  Cor.  6:18:  "And  will  be  a  Father  unto  you,  and  ye 
shall  be  my  sons  and  daughters,  saith  the  Lord  Almighty." 

Gal.  4:6:    "And  because  ye  are  sons,  God  hath  sent  forth 

the  Spirit  of  his  Son  into  your  hearts,  crying,  Abba,  Father." 

Rom.  8:17:     "And  if  children,  then  heirs;  heirs  of  God, 


164  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

and  joint-heirs  with  Christ:  if  so  be  that  we  suffer  with  him, 
that  we  may  be  also  glorified  together," 

2)  The  Ground  of  Justification  is  exclusively  the  perfect 
satisfaction  and  righteousness  of  Christ  which  is  imputed  to 
the  believer.  This  is  expressed  very  strongly  in  Art.  XXIII.  of 
the  Confession: 

"We  believe  that  our  salvation  consists  in  the  remission  of 
our  sins  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake,  and  that  therein  our  righteous- 
ness before  God  is  implied:  as  David  and  Paul  teaches  us,  de- 
claring this  to  be  the  happiness  of  man,  that  God  imputes 
righteousness  to  him  without  works.  And  the  same  apostle 
saith,  that  we  are  justified  freely  by  his  grace,  through  the  re- 
demption which  is  in  Jesus  Christ.  And  therefore  we  always 
hold  fast  this  foundation,  ascribing  all  the  glory  to  God,  hum- 
bling ourselves  before  him,  and  acknowledging  ourselves  to 
be  such  as  we  really  are,  without  presuming  to  trust  in  any 
thing  m  ourselves,  or  in  any  merit  of  ours,  relying  and  resting 
upon  the  obedience  of  Christ  crucified  alone,  which  becomes 
ours,  when  we  believe  in  him.  This  is  sufficient  to  cover  all 
our  iniquities,  and  to  give  us  confidence  in  approaching  to 
God;  freeing  the  conscience  of  fear,  terror  and  dread,  without 
following  the  example  of  our  first  father,  Adam,  who,  trem- 
bling, attempted  to  cover  himself  with  fig-leaves.  And  verily 
if  we  should  appear  before  God,  relying  on  ourselves,  or  on 
any  other  creature,  though  ever  so  little,  we  should,  alas!  be 
consumed.  And  therefore  every  one  must  pray  with  David:  O 
Lord,  enter  not  into  judgment  with  thy  servant:  for  in  thy 
sight  shall  no  man  living  be  justified." 

That  our  good  works  cannot  be  our  righteousness  before 
God,  in  part  nor  as  a  whole,  is  very  plain  if  we  consider  that 
even  our  best  works  in  this  life  are  imperfect,  and  polluted 
with  sin.  Rev.  3:2  tells  the  church  in  Sardis,  "I  have  not 
found  thy  works  perfect  before  God,"  and  Paul  assures  us  in 
Galatians,  "that  no  man  is  justified  by  the  law  before  God  is 
evident,  for:  the  righteous  shall  live  by  faith."  Moreover,  the 
"good"  in  them  is  wrought  not  by  men  but  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
so  that  the  credit  for  it  belongs  not  to  us  but  to  God.  Eph.  2: 
10:  "For  we  are  his  workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus 
unto  good  works,  which  God  hath  before  ordained  that  we 
should  walk  in  them."  And  again,  Eph.  2:8,  9:  "For  by  grace 
are  ye  saved  through  faith;  and  that  not  of  yourselves:  it  is 
the  gift  of  God:    Not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast." 

The  reward  which  believers  get  for  their  good  works  will 
be   beyond   compare.     Matt.   19:2!)   speaks   of   receivi^ig  "an 


JUSTIFICATION,  THE  PROFIT  AND  ORIGIN  OF  FAITH  165 

hundredfold."  But  it  will  not  be  as  the  merit  of  servants  who 
earned  their  wages,  but  of  grace,  as  children  of  the  gracious 
Father  in  heaven  who  will  reward  even  for  a  cup  of  cold 
wafer  given  to  a  disciple,  in  a  disciple's  name.  Matt.  10:  42. 
When  it  conies  to  wages  for  our  good  works,  we  should  always 
bear  in  mind  the  Savior's  statement,  Luke  17:10,  "So  like- 
wise, ye,  when  ye  shall  have  done  all  those  things  which  are 
commanded  you,  say,  we  are  unprofitable  servants:  we  have 
done  that  which  was  our  duty  to  do."     (Cf.  Chap.  XXIII.). 

When  the  charge  is  made  that  this  doctrine  of  Justifi- 
cation through  Christ  makes  men  careless  and  profane,  we 
answer  in  the  words  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism:  "By  no 
means,  for  it  is  impossible  that  those  who  are  implanted 
into  Christ  by  a  true  faith,  should  not  bring  forth  fruits  of 
thankfulness."  (Q.  04.)  (Compare  Art.  XXIV.  of  the  Confession, 
given  in  Chapter  XXIII,  on  Good  Works,  i^  III). 

3)  The  Means  of  Justification.  The  Compendium  ans- 
wers the  question:  "How  art  thou  righteous  before  God?"  by 
stating:  "Only  by  a  true  faith  in  Jesus  Christ."  This  does 
not  mean  that  faith  merits  justification,  as  some  have  claimed. 
It  simply  is  the  instrument  to  receive  the  righteousness  of 
the  Savior.  Our  faith  is  no  more  a  part  of  the  justifying 
righteousness  than  the  hand  or  mouth  by  which  we  take 
food  is  a  part  of  the  food.  That  faith  alone  is  the  instru- 
ment to  justify,  although  without  merit  of  its  own,  is  brought 
out  clearly  by  Art.  XXII  of  the  Confession  of  Faith: 

"We  believe  that,  to  attain  the  true  knowledge  of  this 
great  mystery,  the  Holy  Gnost  kindleth  in  our  hearts  an  up- 
right faith,  which  embraces  Jesus  Christ,  with  all  his  merits, 
appropriates  him,  and  seeks  nothing  more  besides  him.  For 
it  must  needs  follow,  either  that  all  things,  which  are  re- 
quisite to  our  salvation,  are  not  in  Jesus  Christ,  or  if  all 
things  are  in  him,  that  then  those,  who  possess  Jesus  Christ 
through  faith,  have  complete  salvation  in  him.  Therefore, 
for  any  to  assert,  that  Christ  is  not  sufficient,  but  that  some- 
thing more  is  required  besides  him,  would  be  too  gross  a 
blasphemy:  for  hence  it  would  follow,  that  Christ  was  but 
half  a  Savior.  Therefore  we  justly  say  with  Paul,  that  we 
are  justified  by  faith  alone,  or  by  faith  without  works.  How- 
ever, to  speak  more  clearly,  we  do  not  mean,  that  faith  itself 
justifies  us,  for  it  is  only  an  instrument  with  which  we  em- 
brace Christ  our  Righteousness.  But  Jesus  Christ,  imputing 
to  us  all  his  merits,  and  so  many  holy  works  which  he  hath 


166  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

done  for  us,  and  in  our  stead,  is  our  Righteousness.  And 
faith  is  an  instrument  that  l<eeps  us  in  communion  with  him 
in  all  his  henefits,  which,  when  become  ours,  are  more  than 
sufficient  to  accjuit  us  of  our  sins." 

4)  The  Stages  of  Justification.  Several  Reformed  theo- 
logians speak  of  different  Stages  or  Steps  in  Justification. 
The  following  are  usually  mentioned:  1)  In  the  Covenant 
of  Redemption.  Rev.  13:8;  17:8.  2)  In  the  Resurrection  of 
Christ.  Rom.  4:25.  This  has  been  called  collective  justifi- 
cation of  the  entire  mystical  body  of  Christ,  as  a  whole — the 
body  of  which  Christ  is  the  Head.  3)  In  effectual  Calling. 
(Chapter  XVII.)  This  may  be  termed  objective  justifica- 
tion, in  the  court  of  God.  Rom.  8:30.  It  involves  and  con- 
cerns the  individual.  4)  Subjective  justification,  by  faith. 
Rom.  5:  1.  This  justification  takes  place  in  the  court  of  our 
conscience.  Phil.  3: 1).  5)  Public  justification  in  the  Judgment 
Day.  2  Tim.  4:  8.  Some  have  spoken  of  Sanctification  (Chapter 
XXV),  as  Justification  before  men.     Compare  James  2:21-25. 

On  this  subject  of  Justification  the  Conclusions  of 
Utrecht   (compare  Chapter  XV),  state: 

"It  is  incorrect  to  say  that  our  Confessional  Standards 
only  mention  a  Justification  out  of  and  by  faith,  since  both 
the  Word  of  God  in  Rom.  4:  25,  and  our  Confession  in  Art.  XX 
speak  expressly  of  an  objective  Justification  sealed  by  the 
Resurrection  of  Christ,  which  in  order  of  time  precedes  the 
subjective  Justification.  .  .  .  All  our  churches  heartily  be- 
lieve and  confess  that  Christ  in  the  Counsel  of  Peace 
(Covenant  of  Redemption),  from  eternity  gave  himself  as 
Surety  of  his  people,  taking  their  guilt  upon  Himself,  even  as 
He  later,  by  his  suffering  and  death  upon  Golgotha  actually 
paid  the  ransom  for  us,  reconciling  us  to  God  while  we  were 
enemies;  but  it  should  be  maintained  equally  strong,  as  based 
upon  the  Word  of  God,  and  in  harmony  with  our  Confes- 
sion, that  we  personally  partake  of  this  favor  only  through 
a  sincere  faith;  therefoie  the  Synod  warns  earnestly  against 
every  proposition  curtailing  either  the  eternal  Suretyship  of 
Christ  for  his  elect,  or  the  demand  of  a  sincere  faith,  to  be 
justified  before  God  in  the  tribunal  of  the  conscience." 

II.  Faith's  Origin.  The  Compendium  in  Q.  48-50  dis- 
cusses the  origin  of  the  faith  whereby  we  are  justified. 
"Who  worketh  this  faith  in  thee?"  is  asked.  And  the  answer 
is:  "The  Holy  Ghost."  This  is  stated  in  opposition  to  the 
Pelagians  who  ascribe  faith  to  the  exercise  of  the  human 
will.     That  the  Holy  Spirit  is  author  of  saving  faith  is  very 


JUSTIFICATION,  THE  PROFIT  AND  ORIGIN  OF  FAITH  167 

plain  from  the  following  texts:  Eph.  2:  8,  "For  by  grace  have 
ye  been  saved  through  faitli;  and  that  not  of  yourselves:  it 
is  the  gift  of  God:  not  of  works,  that  no  man  should  glory." 
Eph.  (5:23,  "Peace  be  to  the  brethren,  and  love  with  faith, 
from  God  the  Father  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Phil.  1: 
2i),  "Because  to  you  it  hath  been  granted  in  the  behalf  of 
Christ,  not  only  to  believe  on  him,  but  also  to  suffer  in  his 
behalf." 

It  is  also  evident  that  it  is  the  Holy  Spirit  who  works 
in  the  heart  of  God's  people  the  knowledge  of  faith  by  en- 
lightening their  mind,  and  the  assent  and  confidence  by  in- 
fluencing their  will,  since  the  Bible  assures  us  of  this,  in  the 
above  mentioned  texts.  Moreover,  the  biblical  doctrine  of 
our  total  depravity  (Ch.  VI),  plainly  involves  our  inability 
to  receive  Jesus  Christ  as  our  Lord,  except  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.  1  Cor.  12:3;  John  6:44.  This  truth,  however,  should 
not  lead  us  to  inactive  waiting  for  this  gift  of  grace,  for  the 
Lord  grants  it  to  his  people  in  the  way'  of  using  means  of 
grace. 

The  Holy  Spirit  uses  as  an  instrument  to  work  faith  in 
us,  "the  hearing  of  the  Word  preached."  Ans.  49.  This  is 
in  harmony  with  Rom.  10: 14-17,  "How  then  shall  they  call 
on  him  in  whom  they  have  not  believed?  and  how  shall 
they  believe  in  him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard?  and  how- 
shall  they  hear  without  a  preacher?  And  how  shall  they 
preach,  except  they  be  sent?  as  it  is  written:  How  beautiful 
are  the  feet  of  them  that  preach  the  gospel  of  peace,  and 
bring  glad  tidings  of  good  things!  But  they  have  not  all 
obeyed  the  gospel.  For  Esaias  saith,  Lord,  who  hath  be- 
lieved our  report?  So  then  faith  cometh  by  hearing,  and 
hearing  by  the  word  of  God." 

The  Word  preached  is  mentioned  particularly.  This 
does  not  mean  that  God  does  not  also  make  use  of  books, 
tracts  and  conversation,  to  work  in  people.  But  the  Bible  mes- 
sage proclaimed  by  God's  servants  is  the  usual  means  to 
bring  men  to  Christ.  This  includes  catechetical  instruction 
as  well  as  the  reading  of  the  Word  of  our  Lord.  May  we 
make  use  of  this  all  prayerfully  and  regularly  I 

In  what  manner  the  Word  of  God  is  made  effectual  as  a 


168  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

means  of  grace  is  expressed  beautifully   in  the  Westminster 
Catechism,  Q.  155. 

"The  Spirit  of  God  niaketh  the  reading,  but  especially  the 
preaching  of  the  WortI,  an  effectual  means  of  enlightening, 
convincing,  and  humbling  sinners;  of  driving  them  out  of 
themselves,  and  drawing  them  unto  Christ;  of  conforming 
them  to  his  image,  and  subduing  them  to  his  will;  of  strength- 
ening them  against  temptations  and  corruptions;  of  building 
them  up  in  grace,  and  establishing  their  hearts  in  holiness 
and  comfort  through  faith  unto  salvation." 

III.  Faith  is  strengthened,  the  Compendium  states,  "by 
the  same  Word  preached,  and  by  the  use  of  the  Holy  Sac- 
raments." 

The  Word  strengthens  faith  by  giving  us  a  clearer  in- 
sight into  the  promises  of  God,  so  that  we  find  more  liberty 
to  accept  them  believingly.  Because  of  this  function  of  the 
divine  Word  we  are  admonished  by  Peter:  "As  newborn 
babes,  long  for  the  spiritual  milk  which  is  without  guile, 
that  ye  may  grow  thereby." 

"May  this  blessed  volume  ever  lie 
Close  to  my  heart,  and  near  my  eye, 

Till  life's  last  hour  my  soul  engage, 
And  be  my  chosen  heritage." 

How  the  Sacraments  as  means  of  grace  strengthen  faith 
will  be  brought  out  in  Chapter  XX. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Wh?t  is  the  difference  between  the   Protestants  and  the   Roman  Catho- 

lics on  the  subject  of  Justification? 

2  In  which  respects  do  justification  and  sanctification  differ? 

3  What  is  the  nature  of  justification? 

4  How  many  parts  belong  to  it? 

5  Which  sins  are  pardoned  in  justification? 

6  What  is  meant  by  adoption? 

7  Which  is  the  ground  of  justification? 

8  Why  cannot  our  good  works  justify  us? 

9  What  can  you  tell  about  the  gracious  reward  of  good  works? 

10  How  do  you  answer  the  charge  that  the  Reformed  doctrine  of  justifica- 

tion is  apt  to  make  men  careless  and  profane? 

11  In  which  sense  is  faith  a  means  of  justification? 

12  Which  stages  or  steps  in  justification  have  been  mentioned? 

13  What  can  you  say  about  the  origin  of  our  faith? 

14  In  which  way  is  the  Word  used  in  regard  to  our  faith? 

15  Which   is  the   great  personal   lesson  tD   be   drawn   from   the   doctrine  of 

justification? 


CHAPTER    XIX. 


THE  COVENANT  OF  GRACE. 


The  doctrine  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  should  be  dis- 
cussed before  the  Sacraments  are  explained,  because  they  are 
signs  and  seals  of  the  Covenant  and  cannot  be  understood 
properly  without  the  right  conception  of  what  the  Covenant 
really  is.  Let  us  study:  (1)  the  Names  and  Nature  of  the 
Covenant  of  Grace;  (2)  its  Basis,  the  Covenant  of  Redemp- 
tion; (3)  its  Establishment  and  Dispensations;  (4)  its  Oneness 
throughout  its  Dispensations;  (5)  its  Members;  (G)  its  Medi- 
ator and  Surety;  (7)  why  it  is  called  a  Testament;  and  ((S)  its 
Promises  and  Obligations. 

1)  Names  and  Natures  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace.  It  is 
called  Covenant  of  Grace  because  it  was  given  of  grace,  brings 
grace  to  its  members  and  can  only  be  accepted  in  the  way  of 
grace,  and  through  grace.  The  name  "of  grace"  is  also  given 
it  in  distinction  of  the  Covenant  of  Works  (Chapter  IV.), 
whose  place  it  took. 

The  Hebrew  word  for  Covenant,  "B'rith,"  occurs  two 
hundred  and  eighty  times  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  is  usually 
translated  as  Covenant,  though  at  times  rendered  "league." 
(Joshua  9: 15,  etc.),  and  "confederacy,"  Obadiah  7.  The  mean- 
ing of  "B'rith"  is  given  variously  as  "determine,"  "cut," 
"choose,"  enactment,"  etc. 

The  Greek  word  for  Covenant  used  in  the  New  Testament 
is  "Diathcke,"  which  is  said  to  mean:  "disposal  by  testament," 
"arrangement,"  etc.    It  occurs  thirty-three  times. 

The  English  word  Covenant  comes  from  two  Latin  words, 
con,  meaning  with,  and  venire,  signifying:  to  come,  so  that  the 
full  meaning  is:    to  come  together,  viz.,  to  fellowship. 

The  Dutch  and  German  words,  (Verbond,  Bund),  indicate 
the  Covenant  as  the  bond  whereby  God  binds  himself  to  his 
people,  akin  in  meaning  to  the  word  religion.     (Chapter  I.) 

But,  while  these  root-meanings  throw  some  light  on  the 


170  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


character  of  the  Covenant,  ditl'erent  data  in  the  Bible  show  its 
nature  to  be  still  richer  and  fuller. 

The  Bible  plainly  teaches  that  the  Covenant  is  a  manifes- 
tation of  God's  condescending  love  and  seeking  grace.  Deut. 
26:5;  Jer.  14:7;  Ez.  36:32;  Ps.  23:3;  31:3.  It  may  be  defined 
as  "the  gracious  agreement  between  God  and  his,  people 
whereby  the  Triune  God  promises  them  complete  salvation  in 
the  way  of  faith." 

This  word  agreement  must  not  be  taken,  however,  in  the 
sense  that  it  is  not  established  as  long  as  it  is  not  accepted 
from  the  side  of  the  individual  believer.  The  Covenant  has 
truly  been  called  "one-sided"  in  the  sense  that  the  first  party, 
God,  proposes  it  according  to  his  own  good  pleasure,  and  the 
only  thing  to  do  for  the  second  party  is  to  accept  it,  on  God's 
own  terms.    God  stated:  "I  will  put  enmity";  "1  establish,"  etc. 

However,  insofar  the  word  "agreement"  is  chosen  prop- 
erly as  its  full  transaction  requires  believing  acceptance,  in 
the  way  of  faith,  from  the  side  of  its  members. 

The  Covenant  of  Grace  brings  out  two  great  ideas  under- 
lying true  religion,  viz.: 

1)  Salvation  is  a  gift  of  God.  All  the  work  of  men  in  it, 
is  built  upon  God's  work  preceding  it. 

2)  Man  must  come  to  choose  and  serve  God  consciously 
and  willingly,  and  not  merely  as  a  machine  wound  up.  We 
are  God's  image-bearers  originally  and  those  in  whom  the 
image  is  being  restored  are  expected  to  act  as  such. 

This  Covenant  is  the  grand  complement  of  the  doctrine  of 
the  Sovereignty  of  God  which  the  Bible  teaches.  (Chapter  IX.) 
As  Sovereign  He  is  unspeakably  high  above  us.  As  Covenant 
God  He  graciously  draws  nigh  to  us. 

The  Covenant  is  the  way  and  means  whereby  God  carries 
out  his  decree  of  Election.  (Chapter  XVII.)  Those  whom  He 
chose  as  individuals  He  saves  in  organic  connection  with 
Christ  and  his  people. 

It  is  also  connected  with  the  Covenant  of  Redemption. 

2)  The  Covenant  of  Redemption  is  the  eternal  Basis  of 
the  Covenant  of  Grace.  This  is  sometimes  called  "Counsel  of 
Peace,"  a  name  taken  from  Zech.  6:  13:  "And  the  counsel  of 
peace  shall  be  between  them  both."  This  may  be  defined  as 
an  eternal  compact  or  agreement  of  the  Godhead  regarding 


THE  COVENANT  OF  GRACE  •     171 

the  redemption  of  God's  people.  In  this  Covenant  the  Father 
ordained  the  Son  to  be  the  Redeemer  of  his  chosen  people, 
demanding  of  Him  satisfaction  of  his  divine  justice,  and  prom- 
ising Him  as  a  reward  a  special  glory  as  Mediator,  the  Son 
accepting  this  task  and  its  reward.  The  Holy  Spirit  also  is 
involved  in  this  insofar  as  He  took  upon  himself  the  applica- 
tion of  the  redemption. 

That  there  is  such  a  Covenant  is  plain  from  the  Word  of 
God.  Repeatedly  Christ  speaks  of  a  task  given  to  Him  by  the 
Father,  a  Kingdom  ordained  him,  a  people  given  him  as  his 
own.  (John  17:  14;  Luke  22:  29;  John  6:  39.)  Ps.  2:  8  informs 
us  that  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  were  given  to  him, 
and  Heb.  12:  2  mentions  a  "joy"  set  before  him. 

The  demands  of  the  Father  have  been  enumerated  as  fol- 
lows: 

1)  That  the  Son  should  become  flesh,  incarnate,  made  of 
a  woman,  placed  under  the  Law.     Gal.  4:4,  5. 

2)  That  He  should  assume  and  fully  discharge,  in  behalf 
of  his  people,  all  violated  conditions  and  incurred  liabilities 
of  the  Covenant  of  Works,  Matt.  5:17,  18,  which  he  was  to 
render  by  perfect  active  obedience,  keeping  the  Law  per- 
fectly, and  by  passive  obedience,  in  suffering  the  full  penalty 
incurred  by  the  sins  of  his  people,  Isa.  53:2;  2  Cor.  5:21; 
Gal.  3:13;  Eph.  5:2. 

The  promises  of  the  Father  were: 

1)  All  needful  preparation,  Heb.  10:  5;  Isa.  42: 1-7. 

2)  Support  in  all  his  work,  Luke  22:43. 

3)  A  glorious  reward,  first,  in  the  exaltation  of  his  di- 
vine-human person,  "above  every  name  that  is  named,"  Phil. 
2:6-11,  universal  dominion  committed  to  him  as  Mediator, 
John  5:22;  Ps.  110: 1,  and  committing  to  him  the  administra- 
tion of  all  the  provisions  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  in  behalf 
of  his  people,  Matt.  28:  18;  John  1:12;  17:2;  7:39;  Acts  2:33; 
and  secondly,  in  the  actual  salvation  of  all  those  for  whom 
he  acted,  including  the  provision  of  calling,  regeneration,  con- 
version, justitication,  sanctiflcation,  and  glorification.  Titus 
1:2;  Jer.  31:33;  32:40;  Isa.  35:10;  53:10,  11. 

The  relation  between  this  Covenant  of  Redemption  and 
Election  is  that  the  latter  determined  who  should  be  saved, 
and  the  former  in  what  manner  this  was  to  be  accomplished. 


172  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

3)  Establishment  and  Dispensations  of  the  Covenant  of 
Grace.  The  Covenant  of  Grace  was  revealed  immediately 
after  the  fall.  When  God  took  the  side  of  fallen  man  and 
declared  that  he  would  put  enmity  between  the  woman  and 
her  seed,  and  the  Serpent  and  his  seed,  and  promised  a  Re- 
deemer to  bruise  the  head  of  Satan,  this  was  a  plain  manifesta- 
tion of  his  thoughts  of  grace  toward  mankind.    Gen.  3:  15. 

God's  Covenant  with  Noah,  Gen.  9,  insofar  is  connected 
with  the  Covenant  of  Grace  that  it  confirmed  the  order  of 
nature,  formally  established  human  government,  and  created 
the  proper  surroundings  for  the  continuation  of  covenant 
relations. 

With  Abraham  the  Covenant  was  established  in  a  formal 
way.  Gen.  17:  1-7:  "And  when  Abram  was  ninety  years  old 
and  nine,  the  Lord  appeared  to  Abram,  and  said  unto  him,  I 
am  God  Almighty,  walk  before  me,  and  be  thou  perfect.  And 
I  will  make  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee,  and  will  mul- 
tiply thee  exceedingly.  And  Abram  fell  on  his  face:  and  God 
talked  with  him,  saying,  As  for  me,  behold,  my  covenant  is 
with  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  the  father  of  a  multitude  of  na- 
tions. Neither  shall  thy  name  any  more  be  called  Abram,  but 
thy  name  shall  be  Abraham;  for  the  father  of  a  multitude  of 
nations  have  I  made  thee.  And  I  will  make  thee  exceeding 
fruitful,  and  I  will  make  nations  of  thee,  and  kings  shall  come 
out  of  thee.  And  I  will  establish  my  covenant  between  me 
and  thee  and  thy  seed  after  thee  throughout  their  generations 
for  an  everlasting  covenant,  to  be  a  God  unto  thee,  and  to  thy 
seed  after  thee." 

This  Covenant  was  confirmed.  Gen.  22: 15-18:  "And  the 
angel  of  the  Lord  called  unto  Abraham  a  second  time  out  of 
heaven,  and  said,  By  myself  have  I  sworn,  saith  the  Lord,  be- 
cause thou  hast  done  this  thing,  and  hast  not  withheld  thy 
son,  thine  only  son:  that  in  blessing  I  will  bless  thee,  and  in 
multiplying  I  will  multiply  thy  seed  as  the  stars  of  heaven, 
and  as  the  sand  which  is  upon  the  sea  shore;  and  thy  seed 
shall  possess  the  gate  of  his  enemies;  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth  be  blessed;  because  thou  hast  obeyed 
my  voice." 

This  was  believingh  accepted  by  Abraham.  Rom.  4:3: 
"For  what  saith  the  Scripture?     Abraham  believed  God,  and 


THE  COVENANT  OF  GRACE  173 


it  was  counted  unto  him  for  righteousness."  This  plainly 
shows  that  the  "great  promise  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  is: 
"I  will  be  a  God  unto  thee,  and  thy  seed  after  thee,"  and  its 
condition  faith  in  God,  to  be  accompanied  by  a  walk  before 
God  in  harmony  with  the  calling  as  members  of  the  gracious 
Covenant  given  by  a  Sovereign  God  of  mercy. 

The  covenanting  transactions  at  Sinai,  (Ex.  20  IT.)  were 
evidently  related  to  the  Covenant  of  Grace. 

The  Ten  Commandments  are  prefaced  with  the  formula 
of  the  Covenant:    "I  am  the  LORD  thy  God." 

But  the  various  laws  and  ceremonies  there  given  were 
meant  to  be  a  schoolmaster  unto  Christ,  to  convict  of  sin, 
teaching  the  people  their  inability  of  saving  themselves,  and 
the  absolute  need  of  a  God-given  Redeemer,  as  promised  to 
Adam  and  Eve,  and  confirmed  to  Abraham.     (Gal.  3:6-25.) 

Agreeable  to  these  well  defined  steps  in  the  Covenant 
revelation,  we  speak  of  three  periods  as  making  up  the  Old 
Testament  Dispensation  or  Form  of  the  Covenant:  (1)  from 
Adam  to  Abraham,  when  there  was  no  sacrament  to  confirm 
the  promises  of  the  Covenant;  (2)  from  Abraham  to  Moses, 
when  there  was  one  sacrament.  Circumcision;  and  (3)  from 
Moses  to  Christ,  when  there  were  two  covenant-seals  or  sacra- 
ments, the  Passover  as  well  as  Circumcision. 

With  Christ  the  New  Testament  Dispensation  of  the  Cove- 
nant was  ushered  in.  It  also  has  two  sacraments,  as  the  nexi 
Chapter  will  show.  It  is  called  the  "gospel"  Dispensation, 
and  sometimes  a  new  and  better  covenant,  because  it  is  su- 
perior to  the  Old  in  four  respects  at  least:  it  is  more  catholic 
or  general,  it  is  more  spiritual,  it  is  more  evangelical,  and  it 
is  final. 

It  will  last  till  the  Second  Coming  of  our  Lord,  its  Medi- 
ator and  Surety.     (Chapter  XVII.,  H.) 

4)  Oneness  of  the  Covenant.  Throughout  these  various 
periods  the  Covenant  of  Grace  is  essentially  one  and  the  same 
Covenant  of  Grace.  This  is  denied  by  some  Baptists  and 
others,  but  is  plainly  evident  from  the  Word  of  God. 

1)  Paul  asserted  this  over  against  his  opponents.  Gal.  3: 
7-9:  "Know  therefore  that  they  which  be  of  faith,  the  same 
are  sons  of  Abraham.  And  the  scripture,  foreseeing  that  God 
would  justify  the  Gentiles  by  faith,  preached  the  gospel  be- 


174  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


forehand  unto  Abraham,  saying.  In  thee  shall  all  the  nations 
be  blessed.  So  then  they  which  be  of  faith  are  blessed  with 
the  faithful  Abraham." 

2)  In  both  the  Old  and  New  Testament  we  read  of  the 
same  formula  of  the  Covenant,  "I  am  thy  God,"  Gen.  17:  7  and 
2  Cor.  6:  Ki. 

3)  The  same  gospel  reveals  the  contents  of  the  Cove- 
nant, Gal.  3:  8. 

4)  The  same  Mediator  serves  in  both.  Acts  4:2;  Gal.  3:16; 
Heb.  13:8. 

5)  The  same  acceptance  in  faith  is  re(iuired.  Rom.  4:3; 
5:1. 

(j)  The  same  blessings  or  pardon,  joy  and  grace  are 
enjoyed. 

7)  Matt.  21:31-41  speaks  of  the  Covenant  people  as  the 
same  vineyard,  although  given  to  different  laborers,  and  Rom. 
11:17  represents  it  as  the  same  olive  tree  in  both  Dispensa- 
tions, although  during  the  New  Testament  new  branches  were 
engrafted. 

8)  Acts  15:  11:  "But  we  believe  that  we  shall  be  saved 
through  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  like  manner  as  they." 
(viz.  the  fathers.) 

5)  Members  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  are  all  those  who 
believe,  like  Abraham,  and  their  seed.  Gal.  3:  7-9:  "Know  ye 
therefore  that  they  which  are  of  faith,  the  same  are  the  chil- 
dren of  Abraham.  And  the  scripture,  foreseeing  that  God 
would  justify  the  heathen  through  faith,  preached  before  the 
gospel  unto  Abraham,  saying,  In  thee  shall  all  nations  be 
blessed.  So  then  they  which  be  of  faith  are  blessed  with 
faithful  Abraham." 

That  the  seed  of  believers  is  also  included,  is  evident  from 
various  texts.  Gen.  17:  7:  "And  I  will  establish  my  covenant 
between  me  and  thee,  and  thy  seed  after  thee,  in  their  genera- 
tions, for  an  everlasting  covenant,  to  be  a  God  unto  thee,  and 
to  they  seed  after  thee."  Acts  2:  38,  39:  "And  Peter  said  unto 
them.  Repent  ye,  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ  unto  the  remission  of  your  sins;  and  ye 
shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  For  to  you  is  the 
promise,  and  to  your  children,  and  to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even 


THE  COVENANT  OF  GRACE  175 

as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God  shall  call  unto  him."  Acts  3:  25: 
"Ye  are  the  children  of  the  prophets,  and  of  the  covenant 
which  God  made  with  our  fathers,  saying  unto  Abraham,  And 
in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  kindreds  of  the  earth  be  blessed." 
Rom.  9:4:  "Who  are  Israelites;  whose  is  the  adoption,  and 
the  glory,  and  the  covenants,  and  the  giving  of  the  law,  and 
the  service  of  God,  and  the  promises."  1  Cor.  7:  14:  "For 
the  unbelieving  husband  is  sanctified  in  the  wife,  and  the  un- 
believing wife  is  sanctified  in  the  brother:  else  were  \our 
children  unclean;  but  now  are  they  holy." 

The  parable  of  the  Vine,  John  15:  2,  and  of  the  Olive  tree, 
Rom.  11: 17,  also  suggests  that  the  seed  of  God's  believing  peo- 
ple is  included  in  the  Covenant.  So  does  the  oft-used  figure 
of  speech,  in  the  books  of  the  prophets,  about  the  Covenant 
relationship  as  a  marriage,  to  which  our  Savior  evidently  al- 
luded when  he  spoke  about  the  unbelieving  Jews  of  his  days 
as  an  "adulterous  generation."     Matt.  26:28. 

This  is  assumed  also  in  the  Form  of  Baptism  used  in  Ihe 
Reformed  Churches,  especially  as  brought  out  in  the  thanks- 
giving prayer  at  its  conclusion,  while  in  the  Canons  of  Dord- 
recht, it  is  stated:     (I.,  17) : 

"Since  we  must  judge  the  will  of  God  from  his  Word, 
which  testifies  that  the  children  of  believers  are  holy,  not  by 
nature,  but  in  virtue  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace,  in  which  they 
are  included  together  with  their  parents,  pious  parents  must 
not  doubt  the  election  and  salvation  of  children  that  are  taken 
from  them  in  their  childhood." 

In  another  Standard  of  the  Reformed  Churches,  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism,  Answer  74,  the  statement  is  made  that 
infants  "as  well  as  the  adult,  are  included  in  the  Covenant  and 
Church  of  God." 

"Because  the  Covenant,  historically  and  originally  enters 
the  human  race,  it  cannot,  on  earth,  appear  in  a  form  wholly 
identical  with  its  essence.  Not  alone  that  several  things  in  the 
life  of  the  believer  are  not  in  harmony  with  the  Covenant  de- 
mand: 'walk  before  me  and  be  perfect,'  'be  holy  for  I  am  holy,' 
but  there  may  also  be  persons,  who  are  received  in  the  Cove- 
nant as  it  appears  to  us,  and  who,  notwithstanding  this,  be- 
cause of  their  unbelieving  and  impenitent  heart,  are  destitute 
of  all  the  spiritual  blessings  of  the  Covenant.  Such  is  not  the 
case  at  present  alone,  but  such  a  condition  has  existed 
throughout  the  ages.  In  the  days  of  the  Old  Testament  not 
nearly  all  were  Israel  who  were  of  Israel,  Rom.  9:6,  for.  not 


176  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 


the  children  of  the  flesh,  but  the  children  of  the  promise,  are 
counted  for  the  seed,  Rom.  !):8;  2:29;  and  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment Church  there  is  chaff  among  the  wheat,  there  are  un- 
fruitful branches  of  the  vine,  there  are  not  alone  golden,  but 
also  earthen  vessels.  Matt.  3:  12;  13:  29;  John  15:2;  2  Tim.  2:20. 
There  are  people  who  have  the  form  of  godliness  but  den\- 
the  power  thereof.    2  Tim.  3:5. 

"On  the  ground  of  this  contradiction  between  being  and 
appearing,  some  have  distinguished  and  separated  between 
an  internal  Covenant,  established  exclusively  with  believers, 
and  an  external  Covenant,  which  included  only  those  who 
confess  with  their  mouth.  But  such  a  distinction  is  not  con- 
sistent with  the  doctrine  of  the  Scripture:  what  (lod  hath 
joined  together,  let  not  man  put  asunder.  Nothing  may  be 
dropped  from  the  demand  that  essence  and  appearance  must 
correspond,  that  confessing  with  the  mouth  and  believing 
with  the  heart  must  agree.    Rom.  10:9. 

"But  although  there  are  not  two  Covenants,  one  inde- 
pendent from  the  other,  there  are,  in  the  one  Covenant,  two 
sides,  of  which  only  one  is  visible  to  us,  but  both  to  God. 

"We  adhere  to  the  rule  that  we  cannot  judge  the  heart, 
but  onlv  the  outward  walk,  and  that  only  imperfectly  so. 
Those,  who,  before  the  eyes  of  men,  walk  in  the  way  of  the 
Covenant,  we  must,  according  to  the  judgment  of  charit> , 
consider  and  treat  as  belonging  to  the  Covenant.  But  after 
all,  not  our,  but  God's  judgment  determines  the  case.  He 
knows  the  hearts  and  tries  the  reins;  and  God  is  no  respecter 
of  persons,  'for  man  looketh  on  the  outward  appearance,  but 
Jehovah  looketh  on  the  heart.'  1  Sam.  10:7.  So  then,  "try 
vourselves  whether  \e  are  in  the  faith;  prove  your  own 
selves.'    2  Cor.  13:5."     (Bavinck.) 

6)  Mediator  and  Surety  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  is  our 
Savior  Jesus  Christ.  1  Tim.  2:5:  "For  there  is  one  God,  and 
one  Mediator  between  God  and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus." 
In  Hebrews  our  Lord  is  called  mediator  three  times,  viz., 
"Mediator  of  a  better  covenant,"  8:  6,  "of  the  New  Testament." 
9: 15,  and  of  "the  New  Covenant,"  12:  24. 

A  mediator,  as  explained  in  Chapter  VI.,  is  one  who  inter- 
poses between  parties  at  variance.  The  distance  between  God 
and  us  is  so  great  that  we  need  one  to  be  as  it  were  the  bridge 
across  the  chasm  which  separates  us  from  the  Almighty. 

From  the  nature  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  outlined  above, 
we  may  infer  that  the  Mediator  between  God  and  his  people 
had  to  be  in  one  person  God  and  man,  in  order  to  unite  both 
parties. 

Passive  obedience  was  to  be  required  of  him  to  remove 


THE  COVENANT  OF  GRACE  177 

the  results  of  the  sin  of  Adam,  the  head  of  the  Covenant  of 
Works,  and  active  obedience  to  perform  for  us  what  Adam 
failed  to  do,  to  keep  the  law  perfectly  and  merit  eternal  life 
in  that  manner  for  all  included  and  reckoned  in  him.  In  order 
to  bring  this  about  the  Mediator  had  to  humble  himself  in 
meriting  salvation,  and  had  to  be  exalted  to  apply  to  his  peo- 
ple the  salvation  purchased. 

To  be  equipped  for  this  manifold  work  he  had  to  be 
prophet,  priest  and  king.    See  Chapter  XIII. 

The  name  Surety  occurs  in  Heb.  7:22:  "Jesus  was  made 
surety  of  a  better  Testament."  The  difference  between  the 
two  names  is  mainly  this,  that  Mediator  lays  stress  on  bring- 
ing parties  at  variance  together,  while  Surety  emphasizes 
that  certain  obligations  are  guaranteed  or  assumed  by  the 
one  who  interposes.  The  two  terms  complete  the  fullness  of 
meaning  involved  in  what  the  Savior  undertook  for  his  people 
in  the  Covenant  of  Grace. 

Some  have  spoken  of  Christ  as  Head  of  the  Covenant  of 
Grace,  appealing  for  proofs  to  Col.  1:18;  Eph.  1:4,  22,  23; 
4:15,  16;  5:23;  1  Cor.  12:12. 

7)  The  Covenant  of  Grace  is  frequently  called  a  Testa- 
ment. This  usage,  influenced  by  the  Vulgate  or  old  Latin 
Bible,  which  translated  Diatheke  or  Covenant  as  "Testa- 
mentum,"  duly  lays  stress  on  the  fact  that  the  Covenant  is  a 
gift  of  grace,  as  a  heritage  willed  in  a  testament  is.  It  also 
suggests  that  the  New  Testament  Dispensation  of  it  was  se- 
cured by  the  death  of  (Hirist,  and  that  it  is  firm  and  sure. 
Heb.  9:16,  17. 

It  also  brings  the  blessed  and  encouraging  promises  that 
our  sin  does  not  make  God's  promises  of  none  effect,  Rom.  3:3, 
but  on  the  other  hand  presupposes  that  the  heirs  shall  claim 
their  share  in  the  blessings  of  the  Testament  humbly  and  be- 
lievingly. 

Blessed  indeed  are  we  if  we  in  faith  receive  what  the 
Lord  of  sovereign  grace  has  promised!  Have  we  already 
done  so? 

8)  The  Promises  and  Obligations  of  the  Covenant.  The 
promises  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  are  all  involved  in  God's 
declaration  of  being  our  God.     Gen.  17:7  and  2  Cor.  6:16. 


178  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 


This  includes  complete  salvation  here,  and  glorv  hereafter. 
Ps.  84: 11;  Ps.  73:  23-2G;  Jer.  31:  33;  Ez.  11: 19,  20. 

These  Promises  have  been  tersely  and  biblically  enum- 
erated in  the  first  part  of  the  Form  of  Baptism  of  the  Re- 
formed Churches: 

*'\Mien  we  are  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  God 
the  Father  witnesseth  and  sealeth  unto  us,  that  he  doth  make 
an  eternal  covenant  of  grace  with  us,  and  adopts  us  for  his 
children  and  heirs,  and  therefore  will  provide  us  with  every 
good  thing,  and  avert  all  evil,  or  turn  it  to  our  profit.  And 
when  we  are  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Son,  the  Son  sealeth 
unto  us,  that  he  doth  wash  us  in  his  blood  from  all  our  sins, 
incorporating  us  into  the  fellowship  of  his  death  and  resur- 
rection, so  that  we  are  freed  from  all  our  sins,  and  accounted 
righteous  before  God.  In  like  manner,  when  we  are  baptized 
in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Holy  Ghost  assures  us,  by 
this  holy  sacrament,  that  he  will  dwell  in  us,  and  sanctify  us 
to  be  members  of  Christ,  applying  unto  us,  that  which  we 
have  in  Christ,  namely,  the  washing  away  of  our  sins,  and 
the  daily  renewing  of  our  lives,  till  we  shall  finally  be  pre- 
sented without  spot  or  wrinkle  among  the  assembly  of  the 
elect  in  life  eternal." 

The  Obligations  are  set  forth  in  the  following  statements 
of  the  Form: 

"Whereas  in  all  covenants,  there  are  contained  two  parts: 
therefore  are  we  by  God  through  baptism,  admonished  of,  and 
obliged  unto  new  obedience,  namely,  that  we  cleave  to  this 
one  God,  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost;  that  we  trust  in  him, 
and  love  him  with  all  our  hearts,  with  all  our  souls,  with  all 
our  mind,  and  with  all  our  strength;  that  we  forsake  the 
world,  crucifj  our  old  nature,  and  walk  in  a  new  and  holy 
life."  ,( Compare  Art.  XXVIII.  of  the  Confession,  in  Chapter 
XVI.,  §7.) 

In  the  promises  just  enumerated  all  the  grace  is  involved 
which  is  needed  to  meet  the  obligations.  For  this  is  the  glory 
of  the  Covenant  dealings  of  God  with  his  people,  that  while 
He  re(iuires  certain  things  of  them,  as  of  his  image  bearers 
and  rational  creatures,  He  meets  them  with  all  they  are  in 
need  of  to  accept  the  Covenant  penitently  and  believingly. 
In  Is.  55:1  and  Rev.  21:6  it  is  stated  specifically  that  the 
blessings  of  the  Covenant  are  offered  without  money  and 
without  price.  In  Ez.  11  and  Jer.  31  the  new  heart  and  new 
spirit  are  promised  to  Israel.  And  Ps.  81: 10  assures  us:  "I  am 
the  Lord  thy  God  .  .  .  open  thy  mouth  wide  and  I  will  fill  it." 
God  grant  us  daily  to  wait  as  beggars  at  the  Throne  of  Grace 
to  obtain  the  blessings  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace! 


THE  COVENANT  OF  GRACE  179 


'God's  promise  shall  forever  stand 
He  cares  tor  those  who  trust  his  Word; 
Upon  his  saints  his  mighty  hand 
The  wealth  of  nations  has  conferred." 

'From  him  his  saints'  redemption  came; 
His  covenant  sure  no  change  can  know; 
Let  all  revere  his  holy  name 
In  heaven  above  and  earth  below." 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Which  names  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  can  you  mention? 

2  Which  is  the  nature  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace? 

3  In  how  far  is  the  Covenant  of  Grace  one-sided? 

4  Which  two  great  ideas  of  the  true  religion  underlie  the  Covenant? 

5  Which  is  the  relation  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  to  Election? 

6  Describe  the  basis  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace,  the  Covenant  of  Redemp- 

tion. 

7  Mention  some  of  the  demands  and  promises  of   God  the  Father  in  the 

Covenant  of  Redemption. 

8  When  and  how  was  the  Covenant  of  Grace  established? 

9  In   which   relation   does   the    Covenant    of    Grace    stand   to    God's    Cove- 

nant with  Israel  at  Sinai? 

10  Mention  the  Dispensations  of  the  Covenant  and  their  periods. 

11  Prove  the  ONENESS  of  the  Covenant  throughout  the  Dispensations. 

12  Who  are  members  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace? 

13  Have  we  grounds  to  speak  of  an  EXTERNAL  and  an  INTERNAL  Cove- 

nant of  Grp.ce? 

14  What  can  you  say  about  the  Mediator  of  the  Covenant? 

15  Why  is  Christ  called  the  Surety  of  the  Covenant? 

16  Why  is  the  Covenant  of  Grace  called  a  Testament? 

17  Which  are  the  promises  of  the  Covenant? 

18  Which  are  the  obligations  of  the  Covenant? 

19  Of  what  must  we  make  sure  as  to  the  Covenant  regarding  us  personally? 


CHAPTER    XX. 


THE  SACRAMENTS  IN  GENERAL,  AND  BAPTISM. 


Q.   51     What  are  the  sacraments? 

A.  They  are  holy  signs  and  seals  instituted  by  God,  thereby  to 

assure  us,  that  he  of  grace  grants  us  remission  of  sins, 
and  life  eternpl,  for  the  sake  of  that  one  sacrifice  of 
Christ  finished  on  the  cross. 

Q.  52  How  many  sacraments  hath  Christ  instituted  in  the  New 
Testament? 

A.  Two:    holy  baptism,   and  the  holy  supper. 

Q.  53     Which  is  the  outward  sign  in  baptism? 

A.  The  water,   with  which  we  are  baptized  in  the  name   of  the 

Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Q.  54      What  doth  that  signify  and  seal? 

A.  The  washing  away  of  sins  by  the  blood  and  Spirit  of  Jesus 

Christ. 

Q.   55     Where  hath  Christ  promised  and  assured  us  of  this? 

A.  In  the  institution  of  baptism,    which  is  as  follows:      "Go  ye 

into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature.  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved,  but  he  that  believeth  not,  shall  be  damned." 

God  has  instituted  means  to  confirm  the  promises  of  the 
covenant  of  grace  to  his  people.  They  are  called,  Means  of 
Grace,  and  consist  of  the  Word  of  God  and  the  Sacraments. 
This  chapter  is  devoted  to  a  discussion  of  the  Word  as  a 
means  of  Grace,  and  of  the  Sacraments  in  general,  and 
Baptism. 

1)  The  Word  of  God  is  such  a  means.  This  is  plain 
from  such  passages  as  Mark  4:26-29,  Rom.  10:17,  James  1: 
18,  and  1  Peter  2:2. 

In  the  Word  of  God  we  possess  the  chief  means  of  grace. 
(Cf.  Prayer  as  a  Means  of  Grace,  Ch.  XXVII).  The  intro- 
ductory chapter  showed  us  that  the  Bible  is  the  great  fountain 
of  our  knowledge  of  things  divine.  Chapter  XVII  told  us 
how  it  is  used  in  Calling,  to  bring  the  heirs  of  salvation  out 
of  darkness  into  God's  marvelous  light,  and  from  estrange- 
ment from  God  to  fellowship  with  him.  But  it  serves  a  far 
^vider  purpose.    This  is  so  because  the  Church  of  God  is  not 


THE  SACRAMENTS  IN  GENERAL,  AND  BAPTISM  181 

simply  a  gathering  of  individual  believers.  The  Church  is 
also  a  Mother  of  believers,  a  mother  who  brings  forth  and 
nourishes  believers,  so  that  they  may  become  well  equipped 
for  the  calling  wherewith  they  are  called,  to  become  the 
army  of  the  living  God,  to  i)roclaim  his  glory  and  to  render 
him  loyal  service.  In  this  ecjuipping  the  Word  of  God  is  in- 
strumental constantly,  as  applied  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  This 
Word  is  therefore  to  be  read  diligently,  to  be  meditated  on 
prayerfully.  It  is  to  be  explained,  defended,  preached,  to  be 
used  as  milk  for  babes,  and  strong  meat  for  those  more  ad- 
vanced in  grace,  that  the  Church  may  become  strong,  united, 
valiant,  and  built  up  in  the  knowledge  of  all  things  divine, 
that  each  believer  may  become  a  prophet,  priest  and  king,  and 
that  all  together  may  increase  unto  the  fulness  of  the  Body  of 
Christ.  It  is  because  of  this  preeminent  place  which  the  Word 
of  God  occupies,-  that  it  is  justly  termed  the  chief  means  of 
grace.  Without  it  the  sacraments  are  without  meaning  and 
contents. 

In  this  respect  the  Protestant  Church  entertains  a  differ- 
ent view  than  the  Roman  and  Greek  Catholic  Churches,  which 
place  the  sacraments  above  the  Bible,  and  consequently  make 
much  more  of  the  administration  of  Baptism  and  Communion 
than  of  preaching. 

2)  But  while  this  preeminence  of  the  Word  as  the  most 
important  means  of  grace  should  be  maintained,  nevertheless 
the  Reformed  Churches  believe  that  besides  the  Word  of  God, 
the  sacraments  are  likewise  valuable  as  means  of  grace.  It  is 
declared  in  Article  XXXII.  of  the  Confession  of  Faith: 

"We  believe,  that  our  gracious  God,  on  account  of  our 
weakness  and  infirmities  hath  ordained  the  sacraments  for 
us,  thereby  to  seal  unto  us  his  promises,  and  to  be  pledges  of 
the  good  will  and  grace  of  God  towards  us,  and  also  to  nour- 
ish and  strengthen  our  faith;  which  he  hath  joined  to  the 
word  of  the  gospel,  the  better  to  present  to  our  senses,  both 
that  which  he  signifies  to  us  by  his  Word,  and  that  which  he 
works  inwardly  in  our  hearts,  thereby  assuring  and  confirm- 
ing in  us  the  salvation  which  he  imparts  to  us.  For  they  are 
visible  signs  and  seals  of  an  inward  and  invisible  thing,  by 
means  whereof,  God  worketh  in  us  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Therefore  the  signs  are  not  in  vain  or  insignificant,  so 
as  to  deceive  us.  For  Jesus  Christ  is  the  true  object  presented 
by  them,  without  wliom  they  would  be  of  no  moment.  More- 
over, we  are  satisfied  with  the  number  of  sacraments  which 


182  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

Christ  our  Lord  hath  instituted,  which  are  two  only,  namely, 
the  sacrament  of  baptism  and  the  holy  supper  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ." 

The  word  "Sacrament"  is  not  found  in  the  Bible.  It  is  a 
Latin  word  which  in  olden  times  signified  the  oath  which  a 
soldier  took  at  enlisting,  and  also  the  pledge  given  as  a  lawsuit 
was  started.  It  came  into  use  among  Christians  as  a  transla- 
tion of  the  word  "mystery"  in  Eph.  5:  32,  as  well  as  because 
christian  life  was  often  represented  as  a  warfare. 

The  term  "sign  and  seal"  as  indicating  a  means  of  grace, 
is  more  biblical,  since  it  is  found  in  Rom.  4: 11,  and  therefore 
it  has  been  preferred  by  the  Reformed. 

During  the  Old  Testament  dispensation  of  the  covenant 
of  grace,  two  sacraments  were  instituted  by  the  Lord. 

(a)  The  first  one  is  Circumcision.  I^om.  4:  11:  "And  he 
(Abraham)  received  the  sign  of  circumcision,  a  seal  of  the 
righteousness  of  the  faith  which  he  had  while  he  was  in  un- 
circumcision:  that  he  might  be  the  father  of  all  them  that 
believe."  (Gen.  17:  11.)  Compare  Rom.  2:  28,  29;  and  Col.  2: 11 
for  its  central  evangelical  meaning. 

(b)  The  second  Old  Testament  Sacrament  is  Passover, 
described  in  Ex.  12: 1-8  ff.:  "And  the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses 
and  Aaron  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  saying,  This  month  shall  be 
unto  you  the  beginning  of  months:  it  shall  be  the  first  month 
of  the  year  to  you.  Speak  >e  unto  all  the  congregation  of 
Israel,  saying,  In  the  tenth  day  of  this  month  they  shall  take  to 
them  every  man  a  lamb,  according  to  their  fathers'  houses,  a 
lamb  for  an  household:  and  if  the  household  be  too  little  for  a 
lamb,  then  shall  he  and  his  neighbor  next  unto  his  house  take 
one  according  to  the  number  of  the  souls;  according  to  every 
man's  eating  ye  shall  make  your  count  for  the  lamb.  Your 
lamb  shall  be  without  blemish,  a  male  of  the  first  year:  ye 
shall  take  it  from  the  sheep,  or  from  the  goats:  and  ye  shall 
keep  it  until  the  fourteenth  day  of  the  same  month:  and  the 
whole  assembly  of  the  congregation  of  Israel  shall  kill  it  at 
even.  And  they  shall  take  of  the  blood,  and  put  it  on  the  two 
side  posts  and  on  the  lintel,  upon  the  houses  wherein  they 
shall  eat  it.  And  they  shall  eat  the  flesh  in  that  night,  roast 
with  fire,  and  unleavened  bread;  with  bitter  herbs  they  shall 
eat  it." 

The  Passover  was  discriminative  in  separating  Israel  from 


THE  SACRAMENTS  IN  GENERAL,  AND  BAPTISM  183 

the  world,  commemorative  of  the  deliverance  from  Egypt,  and 
typical  and  prophetical  of  the  coming  of  Christ  the  true 
Passover,  1  (^or.  5:7,  "the  Lamb  of  (lod  that  takelh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world,"  John  1:  2!);  the  Lamb  without  blemish,  slain, 
whose  blood  must  be  applied  and  appropriated,  atfording  com- 
plete protection  from  judgment.  (Kx.  12:  5,  6;  Heb.  !):  22;  John 
3:36;  Heb.  10:10,  14.) 

In  the  New  Testament  Dispensation  there  are  likewise 
two  Sacraments:  Baptism  and  Communion.  Roman  Catholics 
and  Greek  Catholics  claim  that  there  are  seven  Sacraments, 
viz.,  Baptism,  Confirmation,  Holy  Eucharist,  Penance,  Extreme 
Unction,  Holy  Orders,  and  Matrimony.  Some  American  sects 
(River  Brethren  and  Dunkers),  add  Foot-washing  as  a  Sacra- 
ment to  Baptism  and  Communion.  The  Quakers  reject  out- 
ward observance  of  the  Sacraments,  claiming  that  internal 
baptism,  (regeneration),  and  heart  communion  with  Christ 
take  their  place.  The  Reformed  Churches  hold  that  only 
such  religious  ceremonies  can  be  called  sacraments  which  are: 
(1)  instituted  by  Christ;  (2)  visible  signs;  and  (3)  have  some 
special  grace  to  be  signified  and  sealed.  It  is  clear  that  only 
Baptism  and  Communion  can  stand  this  three-fold  test. 
Matt.  28: 19;  26:  26;  Gal.  3:  26;  John  6: 56;  1  Cor.  11:24. 

A  Sacrament  may  be  defined  as  "an  holy  ordinance  insti- 
tuted by  Christ  in  his  Church,  to  signify,  seal,  and  exhibit  unto 
those  within  the  Covenant  of  Grace  the  benefits  of  his  media- 
tion; to  strengthen  and  increase  their  faith,  and  all  other 
graces;  to  oblige  them  to  obedience;  to  testify  and  cherish 
their  love  and  communion  one  with  another,  and  to  distinguish 
them  from  those  which  are  without."     (Larger  Catechism.) 

Two  things  are  included  in  every  sacrament:  an  outward 
visible  sign,  and  inward  spiritual  grace,  the  outward  sign 
having  some  natural  connection  with  the  inward  significance 
of  the  sacrament,  such  as  water  as  naturally  suggesting 
cleansing,  and  bread  and  wine  significant  of  nourishment. 

The  sacraments  are  called  signs  because  they  picture  or 
signify  to  us  the  invisible  grace  of  God  just  mentioned. 

They  are  called  seals  because  they  seal  to  us  the  prom- 
ises of  God  concerning  the  benefits  of  the  Covenant. 

And  they  exhibit  or  apply  to  us  the  blessings  of  the  Cove- 
nant insofar  it  pleases  God  to  actually  use  them  as  "means 
of  Grace." 


184  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

Roman  Catholics  believe  that  the  Sacraments  work  "ex 
opere  operato,"  by  which  they  mean  that  the  Sacraments  al- 
ways effect  and  produce  in  all  recipients  the  grace  which 
they  signify,  unless  they  put  obstacles  in  the  way.  They 
therefore  call  them  efficacious  signs. 

But  the  Reformed  believe  that  the  Sacraments  become  ef- 
fectual means  of  grace  not  from  any  virtue  inherent  in  them, 
but  only  by  the  gracious  blessing  of  Christ  and  the  working 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  them  who  by  faith  receive  them.  Com- 
pare Acts  8: 14-25  with  Acts  8:  37. 

3)  "Baptism,  the  first  N.  T.  sacrament,  is  the  divine 
ordinance  wherein  the  washing  with  water  in  the  Name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  signifies  and 
seals  to  us  the  partaking  of  the  benefits  of  the  Covenant  of 
Grace,  and  our  engagement  to  the  Lord."     (Sh.  Cat.) 

The  Form  of  administration  of  Baptism  of  the  Reformed 
Churches  states: 

"The  principal  parts  of  the  doctrine  of  Holy  Baptism  are 
these  three: 

"First.  That  we  with  our  children  are  conceived  and  born 
in  sin,  and  therefore  are  children  of  wrath,  in  so  much  that 
we  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  except  we  are  born 
again.  This,  the  dipping  in,  or  sprinkling  with  water  teaches 
us,  whereby  the  impurity  of  our  souls  is  signified,  and  we  ad- 
monished to  loathe  and  humble  ourselves  before  God,  and  seek 
for  our  purification  and  salvation  without  ourselves. 

"Secondly.  Holy  baptism  witnesseth  and  sealeth  unto  us 
the  washing  away  of  sins  through  Jesus  Christ.  Therefore 
we  are  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  For  when  we  are  baptized  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  God  the  Father  witnesseth  and  sealeth  unto  us, 
that  he  doth  make  an  eternal  covenant  of  grace  with  us,  and 
adopts  us  for  his  children  and  heirs,  and  therefore  will  pro- 
vide us  with  every  good  thing,  and  avert  all  evil,  or  turn  it  to 
our  profit.  And  when  we  are  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Son, 
the  Son  sealeth  unto  us,  that  he  doth  wash  us  in  his  blood  from 
all  our  sins,  incorporating  us  into  the  fellowship  of  his  death 
and  resurrection,  so  that  we  are  freed  from  all  our  sins,  and 
accounted  righteous  before  God.  In  like  manner,  when  we 
are  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Holy  Ghost 
assures  us,  by  this  holy  sacrament,  that  he  will  dwell  in  us, 
and  sanctify  us  to  be  members  of  Christ,  applying  unto  us,  that 
which  we  have  in  Christ,  namely,  the  washing  away  of  our 
sins,  and  the  daily  renewing  of  our  lives,  till  we  shall  finally 
be  presented  without  spot  or  wrinkle  among  the  assembly  of 
the  elect  in  life  eternal. 


THE  SACRAMENTS  IN  GENERAL,  AND  BAPTISM         185 

"Thirdly.  Whereas  in  all  covenants  there  are  contained 
two  parts:  therefore  are  we  by  God  through  baptism,  admon- 
ished of,  and  obliged  unto  new  obedience,  namely,  that  we 
cleave  to  this  one  God,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost;  that  we 
trust  in  him,  and  love  him  with  all  our  hearts,  wath  all  our 
souls,  with  all  our  mind,  and  with  all  our  strength;  that  we 
forsake  the  world,  crucify  our  old  nature,  and  walk  in  a  new 
and  holy  life. 

"And  if  we  sometimes  through  weakness  fall  into  sin,  we 
must  not  therefore  despair  of  God's  mercy,  nor  continue  in 
sin,  since  baptism  is  a  seal  and  undoubted  testimony,  that  we 
have  an  eternal  covenant  of  grace  with  God." 

The  outward  sign  of  Holy  Baptism  is  water,  pure  water, 
without  any  such  additions  thereto  as  the  Roman  Church 
makes.  The  Reformed  Churches  believe  that  its  sacramental 
use  signifies  and  seals  the  washing  away  of  our  sins  by  the 
blood  and  Spirit  of  Christ,  reminds  us  of  the  impurity 
of  our  souls,  and  the  need  of  a  new  birth,  and  admonishes 
us,  as  the  Form  of  Baptism  states,  "to  loathe  and  humble  our- 
selves before  God,  and  seek  for  our  purification  and  salvation 
without  ourselves." 

According  to  the  Reformed  the  main  idea  in  Baptism  is 
washing,  even  as  in  John  3:22  and  4:1-3,  the  question  of 
baptizing  is  called  the  question  of  purification.  The  Baptists 
insist  on  the  ground  of  Romans  6:4  that  the  chief  idea  in 
baptism  is  burial  with  Christ  and  rising  with  him,  and  there- 
fore insist  on  immersion  or  dipping  in  water.  It  cannot  be 
denied  that  the  Apostle  in  Romans  6  makes  use  of  this  mode 
of  baptism  as  an  illustration  of  what  believers  must  undergo 
spiritually,  but  this  does  not  alter  the  fact  that  throughout  the 
New  Testament  it  is  not  burial  and  resurrection  that  is  empha- 
sized as  symbolical  of  Baptism,  but  washing,  (Acts  22:16; 
1  Cor.  6: 11;  Titus  3:5).  Much  less  does  Paul's  illusion  to  im- 
mersion involve  that  this  should  constitute  the  only  valid 
mode  of  baptizing.  For  that  matter,  examples  of  early  chris- 
tian art,  preserved  in  the  Catacombs  of  Rome,  show  that  in 
the  first  centuries  of  our  era  pouring  or  affusion  was  in  use. 
The  Reformed  Churches  condemn  neither  immersion  nor 
pouring,  but  hold  that,  since  washing  is  the  main  idea  symbol- 
ized in  Baptism,  sprinkling  is  perfectly  proper,  and  likewise 
is  an  ancient  mode  of  administering  the  sacrament,  as  shown 
by  writings  of  the  Church  fathers,  and  by  ancient  baptism 
fonts. 


186  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

The  following  arguments  have  been  mentioned  in  favor 
of  sprinkling: 

1)  The  Greek  word  "baptizo,"  from  which  our  word 
"baptize"  is  derived,  does  not  exclusively  mean  to  immerse, 
but  is  also  used  to  signify  washing,  purifying,  as  shown  by 
Mark  7:  48,  speaking  of  the  washing  of  couches,  while  in  the 
Old  Testament  in  the  Greek  translation,  the  word  is  also  em- 
ployed for  the  washing  of  Naaman  in  Jordan,  2  Kings  5:14. 
Dan.  4  states  in  the  Greek  Old  Testament,  that  Nebuchadnezzar 
was  wet  (baptein)  with  the  dew  of  heaven,  which  also  shows 
that  the  word  baptizo  does  not  exclusively  signify  immersion. 

2)  The  blood  of  the  Old  Testament  sacrifices,  which  typi- 
fied the  blood  of  Christ,  was  sprinkled  on  the  objects  which 
received  it,  but  these  were  not  immersed  in  it.  Heb.  9:10;  12:24. 

3)  The  Spirit  who  came  down  on  Pentecost,  and  who  is 
also  symbolized  in  Baptism,  did  not  come  down  to  immerse 
his  recipients. 

4)  Where  Paul  states  in  I  Cor.  10:2  that  Israel  was 
"baptized  unto  Moses  in  the  cloud  and  in  the  sea,"  it  is  evi- 
dent that  no  immersion  is  meant,  yet  the  Apostle  considers  it 
baptizing. 

5)  In  Isa.  52:15  the  prophet  foretold  that  the  coming 
Messiah  would  "sprinkle  many  nations,"  in  the  sense  of  apply- 
ing his  merits  to  them,  which  is  also  the  idea  underlying  Bap- 
tism, showing  that  sprinkling  suffices. 

6)  In  Ez.  36:  25  we  are  assured:  "Then  (in  the  N.  T.)  I 
will  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you  and  you  shall  be  clean," 
again  indicating  the  fact  that  sprinkling  sufficiently  symbolizes 
the  washing  it  stands  for. 

7)  David's  prayer  in  Ps.  51  about  cleansing  with  hyssop 
also  suggests  the  idea  of  sprinkling,  since  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment the  hyssop  plant  was  used  as  a  brush  to  apply  the 
cleansing  element. 

8)  From  the  washing  of  the  feet  and  Jesus'  explanation 
of  it  in  John  13:  9,  10,  it  is  evident  that  in  symbolical  actions 
such  as  baptizing,  a  part  can  take  the  place  of  the  whole,  even 
as  the  administration  of  Communion  is  based  on  that  same 
principle. 

We  therefore  have  ample  reasons  to  hold  that  sprinkling, 
wherebv  but  little  water  is  used,  is  as  valid  as  a  mode  of  bap- 


THE  SACRAMENTS  IN  GENERAL,  AND  BAPTISM         187 

tizing  as  immersion  or  pouring.  The  Roman  Catholic  Church 
uniformly  uses  sprinkling,  as  well  as  the  Reformed.  The 
Greek  Catholics  immerse. 

The  Reformed  Churches  insist  on  having  the  trinitarian 
formula  of  Matt.  28:19  employed  at  the  administration  of 
Baptism  because  the  Savior  himself  gave  it,  and  also  because  in 
Baptism  it  is  the  triune  God  who  engages  himself  to  the 
proper  recipients  of  the  sacrament,  as  strikingly  brought  out 
in  the  opening  part  of  the  Form  of  Baptism  printed  above. 

"In  the  Name,"  in  the  Baptism  formula  is  to  be  taken  in 
the  sense  of  "in  fellowship  with,"  and  not  simply  "by 
order  of." 

Roman  Catholics  and  Lutherans  claim  that  in  case  of  ne- 
cessity, when  death  seems  imminent  and  no  ordained  minister 
is  at  hand,  any  person  may  administer  the  sacrament  of  Bap- 
tism. This  is  called  "Baptism  of  Necessity."  The  Reformed 
Churches,  however,  hold  that  only  ordained  men  may  ofTiciate, 
since  Christ  in  his  parting  command  joined  baptizing  to 
teaching. 

The  baptism  of  John,  although  not  a  sacrament  of  the 
Covenant  of  Grace,  since  Circumcision  was  still  in  force,  was 
the  same  as  christian  Baptism,  insofar  as  it  sealed  the  same 
promises  and  blessings  as  our  New  Testament  Baptism,  though 
it  ditfered  in  emphasizing  repentance,  in  harmon>-  with  the 
legal  character  of  the  Old  Testament  Dispensation.  Besides 
this,  it  was  national  in  its  scope,  being  confined  to  the  Jews, 
whereas  Baptism  is  designed  for  universal  use.  Moreover,  the 
measure  of  grace  accompanying  John's  baptism  was  not  as 
large  as  that  exhibited  by  New  Testament  Baptism.  John  7:39; 
Mark  1:4;  John  1:33. 

Baptiin  is  to  be  administered  but  once  because  it  signifies 
the  new  birth,  "the  washing  of  regeneration,"  Titus  3:5,  and 
we  are  born  again  but  once,  therein  diff'ering  from  Communion 
which  signifies  the  strengthening  of  our  new  life  and  there- 
fore is  used  often. 

Subjects  of  Baptism  are  believers  and  their  children.  This 
excludes  the  christening  or  baptizing  of  clocks  and  other  in- 
animate things  used  in  religious  worship  as  practised  by 
Roman  Catholics  and  others.  And  we  also  protest  against  the 
Mormon  custom  of  baptizing  for  the  dead,  i.e.  having  living 


188  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

persons  baptized  in  the  hope  that  the  blessings  of  Baptism 
may,  vicariously,  be  applied  for  the  benefit  of  some  already 
dead.  We  consider  this  an  unwarranted  use  of  1  Cor.  15:29 
since  Paul  does  not  in  that  text  approve  of  the  custom  referred 
to,  but  merely  mentions  it  as  an  illustrative  argument. 

The  Confession  of  Faith  of  the  Reformed  Churches  gives 
the  following  on  Holy  Baptism,  (Art.  XXXIV.): 

"We  believe  and  confess  that  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the  end 
of  the  law,  hath  made  an  end,  by  the  shedding  of  his  blood,  of 
all  other  sheddings  of  blood  which  men  could  or  would  make 
as  a  propitiation  or  satisfaction  for  sin:  and  that  he,  having 
abolished  circumcision,  which  was  done  with  blood,  hath  in- 
stituted the  sacrament  of  Baptism  instead  thereof;  by  which 
we  are  received  into  the  Church  of  God,  and  separated  from 
all  other  people  and  strange  religions,  that  we  may  wholly 
belong  to  him,  whose  ensign  and  banner  we  bear:  and  which 
serves  as  a  testimony  to  us,  that  he  will  forever  be  our 
gracious  God  and  Father.  Therefore  he  has  commanded  all 
those,  who  are  his,  to  be  baptized  with  pure  water,  "in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost:" 
thereby  signifying  to  us,  that  as  water  washeth  away  the  filth 
of  the  body,  when  poured  upon  it,  and  is  seen  on  the  body  of 
the  baptized,  when  sprinkled  upon  him;  so  doth  the  blood  of 
Christ,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  internally  sprinkle 
the  soul,  cleanse  it  from  its  sins,  and  regenerate  us  from  chil- 
dren of  wrath,  unto  children  of  God.  Not  that  this  is  effected 
by  the  external  water,  but  by  the  sprinkling  of  the  precious 
blood  of  the  Son  of  God;  who  is  our  Red  Sea,  through  which 
we  must  pass,  to  escape  the  tyranny  of  Pharaoh,  that  is,  the 
devil,  and  to  enter  into  the  spiritual  land  of  Canaan.  There- 
fore the  ministers,  on  their  part,  administer  the  sacrament, 
and  that  which  is  visible,  but  our  Lord  giveth  that  which  is 
signified  by  the  sacrament,  namely,  the  gifts  of  invisible 
grace;  washing,  cleansing  and  purging  our  souls  of  all  filth 
and  unrighteousness;  renewing  our  hearts,  and  filling  them 
with  all  comfort;  giving  unto  us  a  true  assurance  of  his  fath- 
erly goodness;  putting  on  us  the  new  man,  and  putting  off  the 
old  man  with  all  his  deeds.  Therefore  we  believe,  that  every 
man,  who  is  earnestly  studious  of  obtaining  life  eternal,  ought 
to  be  but  once  baptized  with  this  only  baptism,  without  ever 
repeating  the  same:  since  we  cannot  be  born  twice.  Neither 
doth  this  baptism  only  avail  us,  at  the  time  when  the  water  is 
poured  upon  us,  and  received  by  us,  but  also  through  the 
whole  course  of  our  life." 

How  greatly  ought  we  to  appreciate  that  God  the  Father 
indeed  witnesses  and  seals  to  us  in  Baptism  that  He  makes  an 
eternal  covenant  of  Grace  with  us,  that  the  Son  washes  us  in 
his  blood,  and  that  the  Holy  Spirit  will  dwell  in  us  to  sanctify 


THE  SACRAMENTS  IN  GENERAL,  AND  BAPTISM         189 

us  as  members  of  Christ,  applying  what  we  have  in  Christ 
namely  the  washing  away  of  our  sins  and  the  daily  renewing 
of  our  lives!  These  wonderful  blessings  are  all  involved  in 
the  great  promise  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  that  God  is  our 
God.  Gen.  17:  7;  2  Cor.  6: 16.  May  we  ever  accept  and  claim 
them  in  the  way  of  faith! 

"My  Savior  God,  my  sovereign  Prince 

Reigns  far  above  the  skies; 

But  brings  his  graces  down  to  sense, 

And  helps  my  faith  to  rise." 

"Mine  eyes  and  ears  shall  bless  his  Name: 
They  read  and  hear  his  Word; 
My  touch  and  taste  shall  do  the  same 
When  thev  receive  the  Lord." 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  What  do  we  understand  by   "means  of  grace"? 

2  Which  is  the   chief    "means  of   grace"? 

3  What  is  our  duty  regarding  the  Word  of  God? 

4  Why  has  God  given   SACRAMENTS  as  means  of  grace? 

5  Describe  the  names  given  to  the  sacraments? 

6  Which  were  the  O.   T.   sacraments? 

7  How  many  and  which  are  the  N.  T.  sacraments? 

8  How  many  and  which  sacraments  do  the  Boman  Catholics  believe  in? 

9  Define  what  a  sacrament  is. 

10  Define    Baptism. 

11  Which   are  the   principal   parts   of   Baptism   according   to   the   Form   of 

the  Reformed  Churches? 

12  Which  is  the  main  idea  in  baptism? 

13  Prove  that  washing  is  the   main   idea   in   baptism  and  not   burial  and 

raising   with   Christ  as   some   claim. 

14  What   grounds   have   we   for   our   practice   of   sprinkling? 

15  Which  formula  is  to  be  used  in  baptizing? 

16  Which  view  should  we   take   of  John's  baptism? 

17  How  often  must  baptism   be  administered? 

18  Which   are  the   subjects   of  baptism? 

19  Why  is  it  our  duty  to  seek  baptism  if  we  are  unbaptized? 

20  Should   we    appreciate    baptism?     Why? 


CHAPTER   XXI. 


INFANT  BAPTISM. 


Q.  56     Are  infants  also  to  be  baptized? 

A.  Yes,  for  they,  as  well  as  the  adult  are  comprehended  in  the 

Covenant  of  God,  and  in  his  Church. 

In  the  closing  part  of  Art.  XXXIV.  of  the  Belgic  Confes- 
sion (see  preceding  Chapter),  it  is  stated  that  the  Reformed 
Churches  not  only  "detest  the  error  of  the  Anabaptists  who 
are  not  content  with  the  one  only  baptism  they  have  once  re- 
ceived," but  "moreover  condemn  the  baptism  of  the  infants  of 
believers,whom  we  believe  ought  to  be  baptized  and  sealed  with 
the  sign  of  the  Covenant,  as  the  children  in  Israel  formerly 
were  circumcised,  upon  the  same  promises  which  are  made 
unto  our  children.  And  indeed  Christ  shed  his  blood  no  less 
for  the  washing  of  the  children  of  the  faithful,  than  for  adult 
persons;  and  therefore  they  ought  to  receive  the  sign  and 
sacrament  of  that,  which  Christ  hath  done  for  them;  as  the 
Lord  commanded  in  the  law,  that  they  should  be  made  par- 
takers of  the  sacrament  of  Christ's  suffering  and  death, 
shortly  after  they  were  born,  by  offering  for  them  a  lamb, 
which  was  a  sacrament  of  Jesus  Christ.  Moreover,  what 
circumcision  was  to  the  Jews,  that  baptism  is  to  our  children. 
And  for  this  reason  Paul  calls  baptism  the  circumcision  of 
Christ." 

The  Anabaptists  referred  to  formed  a  sect  which  arose 
during  the  Reformation.  Besides  rejecting  the  practice  of 
baptizing  infants,  they  fell  into  all  manner  of  excesses.  Menno 
Simons,  a  Dutch  preacher,  succeeded  in  bringing  them  to 
more  sober  views.  It  is  after  him  that  the  Mennonites  call 
themselves.  In  the  United  States  there  are  13  different  bodies 
of  Mennonites,  totalling  some  50,000  communicants,  and  all 
opposed  to  infant  baptism. 

The  Anabaptists  were  forerunners  of  the  Baptists,  who 
originated  in  England  in  the  seventeenth  century  and  of 
whom  there  are  over  five  million  communicants  in  the  United 
States,  divided  into  15  different  bodies.  They  also  reject  in- 
fant baptism  as  it  is  practised  by  practically  the  entire  Chris- 


INFANT  BAPTISM  191 


tian  Church,  Greek  and  Roman  CathoUc  as  well  as  Protestant. 
They  ground  their  dissent  mainly  upon  two  grounds:  1)  upon 
the  absence  of  a  positive  conmiand  of  Christ,  or  apostolic 
example  in  favor  of  the  practice;  and  2)  they  consider  infant 
baptism  to  be  a  violation  of  the  very  idea  of  baptism,  since,  as 
they  claim,  Baptism  presupposes  conversion  and  intelligent 
profession  of  faith,  which  cannot  be  expected  from  infants. 

Now,  as  to  the  first  argument,  the  answer  will  be  found 
below,  in  our  reasons  for  holding  to  the  practise  of  baptizing 
children.  As  to  the  second,  the  objection  could  be  applied  just 
as  well  to  Circumcision,  which  nevertheless  was  especially  in- 
stituted by  God  as  a  sacrament  for  infants. 

3)  A  third  objection  is  made  sometimes  that  in  Mark 
16: 16  teaching  is  mentioned  before  baptizing.  This,  how- 
ever, cannot  be  a  valid  proof,  since  our  Lord  there  referred 
to  the  bringing  in  of  those  outside  of  the  Church,  in  whose 
case  baptism  always  follows  teaching.  No  reference  is  there 
made  to  those  already  within  Covenant  circles,  believers  who 
with  their  children  possessed  the  promise  of  the  remission 
of  sin  and  the  Holy  Spirit.  Acts  2:28  and  3:25.  Moreover, 
the  order  of  words  is  an  unstable  basis  for  a  doctrine.  In 
John  3:5  the  Savior  in  describing  the  new  birth,  mentioned 
"water"  before  Spirit,  but  no  one  would  dare  to  claim  that 
one  must  first  be  born  of  water,  and  then  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Baptists  have  also  made  an  objection  on  the  ground  of  Matt. 
28: 19,  20,  which  in  the  King  James'  Version  reads:  "Go  ye 
therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them,"  etc.,*pointing 
out  that  here  likewise  teaching  precedes  administration  of 
the  Sacrament.  But  the  Revised  Version  translates  it:  "Make 
disciples  of  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  teaching  them 
to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  commanded  you."  That 
reading  is  more  in  harmony  wath  the  methods  of  those  who 
believe  in  infant  baptism,  since  they  make  disciples,  in  the 
case  of  children  of  believers,  first  by  baptizing  and  then  by 
teaching. 

But,  which  are  the  grounds  alluded  to  above,  upon  which 
those  who  administer  Baptism  to  the  seed  of  believers  do  this? 
Are  they  simply  following  tradition,  or  have  they  not  been 
delivered  from  all  the  leaven  of  Romanism,  as  those  who  op- 


192  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 


pose  infant  baptism  often  assert?  Thank  God,  we  have  suf- 
iicient  reasons  to  adhere  to  the  old  practice,  and  are  fully  as- 
sured that  we  are  not  following  cunningly  devised  fables! 

1)  The  Compendium  mentions  first  that  children  as  well 
as  adults  are  comprehended  in  the  Covenant  of  Grace.  That 
is  plain  from  what  the  Bible  relates  about  the  establishing  of 
the  Covenant  of  Grace  with  Abraham,  (Chap.  XIX.).  The  seed  is 
mentioned  especially,  even  as  in  all  the  other  covenants  men- 
tioned in  the  Word  of  God,  with  Adam,  Noah,  and  David, 
(2  Sam.  7: 16),  children  were  reckoned  with.  Now,  if  chil- 
dren belong  to  the  Covenant  as  well  as  the  adults,  it  is  plain 
that  they  should  receive  a  sign  and  a  seal  of  it,  in  other  words, 
a  Sacrament,  such  as  God  gave  to  Abraham  in  Circumcision, 
in  the  place  of  which  Baptism  has  come,  as  shown  by  Col.  2:11: 
"In  whom  (Christ)  ye  were  also  circumcised  with  a  circum- 
cision not  made  with  hands,  in  the  putting  off  of  the  body  of 
the  flesh,  in  the  circumcision  of  Christ."  Very  naturallly,  in 
the  early  Christian  Church,  Baptism,  by  Paul  called  Circum- 
cision, took  the  place  of  the  Old  Testament  rite,  since  the  same 
Apostle  in  Gal.  5:2  forbade  the  use  of  Circumcision.  Since 
Christ  shed  his  blood  to  atone  for  sin,  the  Old  Testament  form 
of  the  Sacrament  had  to  pass  away.  And  nothing  so  similar  to 
it  in  deep  spiritual  import  could  take  the  place  of  Circumcision 
as  Baptism,  for  both  were  emblematical  of  the  removal  of  the 
pollution  of  sin.  Deut.  10:16;  30:6;  Lev.  26:41;  Acts  7:51; 
Rom.  2:  28,  29;  Coll.  2: 11;  Gal.  3:  27-29. 

2)  As  a  second  argument  in  favor  of  infant  Baptism  the 
Compendium  states  that  children  as  well  as  adults  belong  to 
the  Church.  Since  the  Church  is  the  realization  of  the  Cove- 
nant, the  children  who  belong  to  it,  as  argued  above,  are  also 
connected  with  God's  Church.  This  thought  underlies  all  ad- 
monitions to  children  in  Paul's  epistles.  Joel  2:6  specifically 
mentions  babes  as  belonging  to  the  congregation.  Now,  if  this 
is  the  case,  then  it  follows  naturally  that  the  little  ones  who 
belong  to  the  Church  of  God  should  bear  its  ensign  and  ban- 
ner as  well  as  the  adults,  to  mark  them  as  separated  from 
other  people  and  strange  religions  and  to  serve  as  a  testimony 
to  them  of  God's  Covenant  mercies  for  them. 

3)  The  Confession  of  Faith  mentions  as  an  argument  in 
favor  of  infant  Baptism  that  the  children  of  ancient  Israel 


INFANT  BAPTISM  193 


were  circumcised  upon  the  same  promises  made  to  our  chil- 
dren. This  is  true,  because,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  Chapter 
on  the  Covenant  of  Grace  (XIX.),  the  Covenant  is  essentially 
the  same  in  all  Dispensations.  Why  then  should  the  seed  of 
the  Church  in  the  spiritually  richer  New  Testament  Dispensa- 
tion be  deprived  of  that  which  the  children  of  the  Covenant 
in  the  spiritually  poorer  Old  Testament  possessed? 

4)  The  Confession  also  mentions  that  Christ  shed  his 
blood  no  less  for  the  washing  of  the  children  of  the  faithful 
than  for  adult  persons,  "and  therefore  they  ought  to  receive 
the  sign  and  sacrament  of  that  which  Christ  has  done  for 
them."  That  Christ  also  atoned  for  the  sins  of  the  lambs  of 
the  tlock  is  evident  from  Mark  10:  13  and  Luke  18: 15  con- 
taining our  Lord's  declarations  concerning  children:  "of 
such  is  the  Kingdom  of  heaven."  That  also  entitles  them  to 
a  token  of  the  Shepherd's  dying  love  toward  them. 

5)  From  Lev.  12:6  the  Confession  derives  as  a  ground 
for  infant  baptism:  "the  Lord  commanded  in  the  Law  that 
they  (children)  should  be  made  partakers  of  the  Lord's  suf- 
fering and  death,  shortly  after  they  were  born,  by  oflFering 
for  them  a  lamb,  which  was  a  sacrament  of  Jesus  Christ." 
That  the  sacrificial  lambs  of  the  Old  Testament  were  typical 
of  Christ,  the  true  Lamb  of  God,  is  undeniable.  1  Cor.  5:7. 
And  that  God  provided  the  offering  mentioned  in  Lev.  12 
proves  plainly  that  in  the  atoning  work  of  our  Savior,  the 
little  ones  were  thought  of  as  w^ell  as  the  adults.  Consequently 
they  are  entitled  to  a  Sacrament  as  a  token  of  their  share  in 
the  atonement. 

G)  Children  should  be  distinguished  from  the  offspring 
of  unbelievers  by  some  visible  token.  Circumcision  served 
as  such  in  the  Old  Testament  times.  Naturally  Baptism  is 
designed  for  this  in  the  New  Testament,  for  it  cannot  be  as- 
sumed that  the  children  of  the  highly  favored  Church  of  the 
latter  days  should  be  less  blessed  with  a  sign  of  distinction 
than  the  seed  of  the  people  of  God  in  former  centuries. 

7)  Paul  in  1  Cor.  7:  14  calls  the  children  of  believers 
holy.  This  also  is  justly  considered  a  proof  in  favor  of  in- 
fant Baptism,  for  it  shows  that  the  seed  of  believers  stands 
in  a  different  relation  to  God  than  the  children  of  the  world. 
Of  this  they  should  have  a  sign  and  seal. 


194  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

8)  Children  possess  the  Holy  Spirit,  no  less  than  adults. 
There  are  several  instances  and  proofs  of  this  in  history 
as  well  as  in  the  Bible.  Matt.  18:6.  As  such  they  show  that 
they  belong  to  Christ's  mystical  body,  the  Church,  and  in 
common  with  its  other  members,  are  entitled  to  a  token  of 
their  part  in  Jesus. 

9)  Our  Lord  ordered  in  his  baptism  command  that  na- 
tions, when  instructed  in  the  way  of  salvation,  should  be 
baptized,  Matt.  28:19;  Luke  24:47.  And  a  "nation"  includes 
children  as  well  as  adults.  This  has  been  considered  a  specific 
command  concerning  the  administration  of  the  sacrament 
here  under  discussion. 

10)  The  Lord,  in  Jer.  31:1,  promised  that  He  would  be 
the  God  of  all  the  families  of  Israel.  In  harmony  with  this 
we  find  the  apostles  baptizing  entire  households,  Acts  10:48; 
16:  15,  34,  35;  1  Cor.  1: 16;  16: 15.  And  while  we  have  no  data 
to  determine  the  age  of  the  members  of  the  families  men- 
tioned, we  have  every  reason  to  assume  that  in  these  house- 
holds children  as  well  as  adults  were  found. 

11)  The  Lord  never  told  his  New  Testament  Church  to 
cease  giving  to  the  seed  of  the  Church  an  outward  token  of 
its  covenant  relation  to  God,  as  He  himself  had  so  plainly 
revealed  and  so  strongly  enjoined  in  Circumcision,  the  nat- 
ural successor  of  which,  as  we  showed  above  (p.  192),  is  the 
sacrament  of  Baptism.  Christ's  treatment  of  children  whom 
be  blessed  and  pronounced  to  be  members  of  his  Kingdom, 
and  the  analogy  of  Circumcision,  which  began  with  adult 
Abraham  and  then  extended  to  his  children,  naturally  favored 
infant  baptism  as  the  initiatory  rite  of  introduction  into  the 
Church  and  a  signifying  and  sealing  of  the  covenant  prom- 
ises. The  blessing  of  the  Covenant  of  olden  days  was  to  the 
seed  as  well  as  to  the  parent;  the  blessing  of  that  same  Cove- 
nant in  the  New  Testament  days  could  not  be  less  comprehen- 
sive. This  evidently  is  the  main  reason  why  no  more 
specific  command  to  baptize  infants  was  given  by  our  Lord. 
It  was  unnecessary.  If  the  children  of  the  New  Testament 
Church  had  been  deprived  of  a  suitable  sacrament,  the  Mas- 
ter would  have  told  us  about  it.  Instead  of  this,  his  inspired 
apostle  Paul  in  1  Cor.  7:14,  in  speaking  of  the  fact  that  the 
children  of  believers  were  holy  and  not  unclean,  even  though 


INFANT  BAPTISM  195 


but  one  of  the  parents  were  a  believer,  plainly  indicated  that 
an  organic  relation  exists  between  parents  and  children  in  our 
days  as  well  as  when  faithful  Abraham  lived.  Surely,  we  may 
conclude  that  the  absence  of  a  command  forbidding  the  giv- 
ing of  a  covenant  token  to  the  seed  of  the  Church  stamps 
the  baptism  of  the  little  ones  as  pleasing  to  the  great  Bishop 
of  our  souls. 

12)  The  above  leads  to  what  is  termed  the  historical 
argument  in  favor  of  infant  baptism.  The  famous  Church 
father  Origen,  who  was  born  in  185  A.  D.,  was  himself  bap- 
tized as  an  infant  and  states:  "The  Church  has  received  the 
tradition  from  the  apostles  to  give  baptism  to  the  little  chil- 
dren." Irenaeus,  born  about  120  A.  D.,  a  disciple  of  Poly- 
carp,  who  was  a  disciple  of  the  apostle  John,  also  refers  to 
it,  and  even  though  the  Church  father  Tertullian  opposed  it, 
neither  he  nor  any  of  the  fathers  of  the  Church  ever  con- 
demned it  as  an  innovation,  which  would  naturally  have 
been  the  case  if  it  had  been  such.  This  shows  once  more 
that  infant  Baptism,  in  a  natural  way,  took  the  place  of  Cir- 
cumcision after  Paul  had  ordered  that  rite  abolished  since 
Christ  atoned  with  his  life-blood. 

"The  requirement  of  repentance  and  faith  which  the 
apostles  made  a  condition  of  Baptism,  was  to  be  expected 
r^  ^L^^  ^SJ^^^  ^"  "^^"^  th^t  they  addressed  adults  outside 
ot  the  New  Testament  Church.  ITiis  must  ever  be  the  mode 
of  procedure  when  the  gospel  is  first  preached  to  a  people. 
Adult  baptism  always  comes  first  in  every  missionary  church. 
Infant  Baptism,  it  is  reasonable  to  assume,  arose  very  nat- 
urally from  the  very  beginning,  as  Christianity  took  hold  of 
family  life  and  training."     (Schaff.) 

Of  course,  it  follows  from  what  has  already  been  said 
about  the  Covenant  of  Grace  and  Baptism  that  this  Sacrament 
signifies  and  seals  to  the  children  of  believers  the  great 
covenant  promise  of  Gen.  17:7  that  the  Lord  is  a  God  unto 
the  seed  of  faithful  Abraham,  even  as  Paul  puts  it  in  2  Cor.  6: 
17,  18:  "I  will  receive  you,  and  will  be  a  Father  unto  you, 
and  ye  shall  be  my  sons  and  daughters  saith  the  Almighty." 
That  includes  complete  salvation,  in  the  way  of  faith.  It 
entitles  the  children  of  believers  to  look  upon  God  as  their 
God,  and  to  expect  the  fulfilment  of  his  Covenant  promises. 
But  it  also  requires  something  of  them,  viz.,  as  stated  in  the 
Form  of  Baptism  of  the  Reformed   Churches:   to   cleave  to 


196  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  to  trust  in  him,  and  to  love  him. 
to  forsake  the  world,  crucify  our  old  nature  and  walk  in  a 
new  and  holy  life.  "And  if  we  sometimes  through  weakness 
fall  into  sin,  we  must  not  despair  of  God's  mercy,  nor  con- 
tinue in  sin,  since  baptism  is  a  seal  and  undoubted  testimony 
that  we  have  an  eternal  covenant  of  grace  with  God." 

May  we  all  claim  these  favors  in  humble  faith,  and  as  little 
children.  May  we  come,  insofar  as  we  have  not  yet  done  so, 
to  accept  God's  promises,  and  after  having  given  ourselves  to 
God,  to  make  known  our  faith  and  acceptance  of  our  Cove- 
nant obligations  b>  public  confession  before  the  Church.  Our 
Savior  promised  to  confess  before  his  heavenly  Father  those 
who  confess  him  before  men,  but  he  also  told  us  that  he  would 
deny  them  who  denied  him.    Matt.  10:32,  33. 

If  we  are  parents,  let  us  bear  in  mind  from  day  to  day 
that  we  who  claim  the  covenant  blessings  for  our  children, 
solemnly  bind  ourselves  to  sacred  obligations  when  we  offer 
them  in  baptism  to  God.  We  pledge  ourselves  openly  to  bring 
up  our  children  in  the  fear  of  God,  and  to  instruct  them  in 
the  doctrine  of  salvation,  even  as  that  is  declared  in  the 
Exhortation  to  the  parents  in  the  Form  of  Baptism: 

"Beloved  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  you  have  heard  that 
baptism  is  an  ordinance  of  God,  to  seal  unto  us  and  to  our 
seed  his  Covenant;  therefore  it  must  be  used  for  that  end,  and 
not  out  of  custom  or  superstition.  That  it  may  then  be  mani- 
fest that  you  are  thus  minded,  you  are  to  answer  sincerely  to 
these  questions: 

"First.  Whether  you  acknowledge,  that  although  our  chil- 
dren are  conceived  and  born  in  sin,  and  therefore  are  subject 
to  all  miseries,  yea,  to  condemnation  itself;  yet  that  they  are 
sanctified  in  Christ,  and  therefore,  as  members  of  his  Church, 
ought  to  be  baptized? 

"Secondly.  Whether  you  acknowledge  the  doctrine  which 
is  contained  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  and  in  the  articles 
of  the  Christian  faith,  and  which  is  taught  here  in  this  Chris- 
tian Church,  to  be  the  true  and  perfect  doctrine  of  salvation? 

"Thirdly.  Whether  you  promise  and  intend  to  see  these 
children,  when  come  to  the  years  of  discretion,  instructed  and 
brought  up  in  the  aforesaid  doctrine,  or  help  or  cause  them  to 
b     instructed  therein,  to  the  utmost  of  your  power? 

"Answer.     Yes." 

God  still  requires  from  every  parent  what  he  said  con- 
cerning Abraham,  Gen.  15:  19:  "For  1  have  known  him  to  the 
end  that  he  may  command  his  children  and  his  household 


INFANT    BAPTISM  197 


after  him,  that   they   ma>    keep  the  way  of  Jehovah,  to  do 
righteousness  and  justice."     (Eph.  6:4.) 

May  he  enable  old  and  young  to  be  faithful  to  covenant 
obligations!  And  may  we  appreciate  it  more  and  more  that 
God  engaged  himself  to  be  our  Covenant  Jehovah. 

"Our  God,  how  faithful  are  his  ways! 
His  love  endures  the  same: 
Nor  from  the  promise  of  his  grace 
Blots  out  his  children's  name." 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Who   were  the  Anabaptists   mentioned  in   Art.   XXXIV   of  the   Confes- 

sion   (closing  part)? 

2  Who  are  the  Baptists? 

3  On  which  four  grounds  do  Baptists  reject  infant  baptism? 

4  Which  replies  can  you  make  concerning  these  four  arguments? 

5  Which  is  the  first  argument,   mentioned   in   the   Compendium,   in   favor 

of  infant  Baptism? 

6  Which  Is  the  second  argument  of  the  Compendium? 

7  What  does  the  Confession  say  about  the  PROMISES  as  a  grounds  for 

infant    Baptism? 

8  What  can  you  say  about  the  Confession's  reference  to  the  offering  of 

a  LAMB  for  children? 

9  Which  argument  is  based  on  the  fact  that  children  should  have  a  dis- 

tinguishing sign? 

10  Which  argument  is  inferred  from  1  Cor.  7:  14? 

11  Is  there   any   proof  for  Infant   Baptism  in  the   fact  that   some   infants 

possess  the  Holy  Spirit? 

12  Which    argument    is    involved    in    the    mention    made    of    NATIONS    in 

Matt.    28:  19? 

13  Which  is  the  argument  involved  in  Jer.   31:  1,  Acts   10:  48   etc.? 

14  What  should  be  argued  from  the  fact  that  the  Lord  never  forbade  the 

giving  of  a  covenant  sign  and  seal  to  children  of  beUevers? 

15  State  the  historical  argument  in  favor  of  infant  Baptism. 

16  What   does  Baptism   signify  as   seal  to  the   children   of  the   Church? 

17  What  does  God  in  Baptism  require  of  children  of  the  Covenant? 

18  In   which   way   must   the    seed   of  the   Church   make   known   its   accept- 

ance  of   the    Covenant   and   its   promises   signified   and   sealed   in   its 
baptism? 

19  To  what  are  parents  of  baptized  children  solemnly  bound  in  baptism? 

20  Why  should  we  appreciate  Infant  Baptism? 


CHAPTER    XXII. 


THE   LORD'S   SUPPER   AND    CHURCH    DISCIPLINE. 


Q. 

57 

A. 

Q. 

58 

A. 

Q. 

59 

A. 

What  is  the  outward  sign  in  the  Lord's  supper? 
The  broken  bread  that  we  eat,  and  the  poured  out  wine  which 
we  drink,   in  remembrance  of  the   sufferings  and  death  of 
Christ. 
What  is  thereby  signified  and  sealed? 
That   Christ,    with   his   crucified   body   and   shed   blood,    feeds 

and  nourishes  our  souls  to  everlasting  life. 
Where  hath  Christ  promised  such  things  to  us? 
In  the  institution  of  the  Lord's  supper,  which  is  thus  ex- 
pressed, by  St.  Paul,  1  Cor.  11:  23,  24,  25,  26:  "For  I 
have  received  of  the  Lord,  that  which  also  I  delivered 
unto  you,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  the  same  night  in  which 
he  was  betrayed,  took  bread;  and  when  he  had  given 
thanks,  brake  it,  and  said:  take,  eat;  this  is  my  body, 
which  is  broken  for  you:  this  do  in  remembrance  of  me. 
After  the  same  manner  also  he  took  the  cup,  when  he 
had  supped,  saying,  this  cup  is  the  new  testament  in  my 
blood:  this  do  ye,  as  oft  as  ye  drink  it,  in  remembrance 
of  me.  For  so  often  as  ye  eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this 
cup,   ye   do   show  the  Lord's   death  till  he   come.'' 

Q.   60      Is  the   bread  changed  into  the  body  of  Christ,   and  the  wine 
into   his   blood? 

A.  No:    no  more  than  the  water  in  baptism  is  changed  into  the 

blood    of    Christ. 

Q.    61     After   what   manner   must   you    examine    yourself   before   you 
come   to   the   Lord's   supper? 

A.  1)   I  must  examine  whether  I  abhor  myself  for  my  sins,  and 

humble  myself  before  God  on  account  of  them. 
2)  Whether  I  believe  and  trust  that  all  my  sins  are  for- 
given me  for  Christ's  sake.  3)  Whether  I  also  have  a 
sincere  resolution  henceforward,  to  walk  in  all  good 
works. 

Q.  62     May  those  be  admitted  to  the  Lord's  supper,  who  teach  false 
doctrines,  or  lead  offensive  lives? 

A.  No:    lest   the    covenant    of    God   be   profaned,    and   his   wrath 

kindled   against  the   whole   church. 

Q.  63     How  must  we  then  deal  with  such  persons? 

A.  According  to  the  appointment  given  us  by  Christ,  Matt.   18: 

15,  16,  17:  "If  thy  brother  shall  trespass  against  thee, 
go  and  tell  him  his  fault  between  thee  and  him  alo  e: 
if  he  shall  hear  thee,  thou  hast  gained  thy  brother:  but 
if  he  will  not  hear  thee,  then  take  with  thee  one  or  two 
more,  that  in  the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses  every 
word  may  be  established:  and  if  he  shall  neglect  to 
hear  them,  tell  it  unto  the  church;  but  if  he  neglect  to 
hear  the  church,  let  him  be  unto  thee  as  an  heathen  man 
and  a  publican." 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER  AND  CHURCH  DISCIPLINE  199 

Besides  Baptism,  the  New  Testament  Church  pos- 
sesses a  second  sacrament  as  a  means  of  grace,  Communion, 
which  takes  the  place  of  passover  as  a  bloodless  sacrament,  as 
Baptism  succeeded  Circumcision.  In  this  Chapter  we  shall 
discuss:  (1)  its  names  and  institution;  (2)  its  nature;  (3)  its 
elements;  (4)  erroneous  views  of  it;  (5)  what  it  requires  of  us. 
Church  discipline  will  be  discussed  in  its  closing  part. 

1)  Different  names  are  given  in  Holy  Writ  to  this  second 
sacrament  of  the  New  Testament.  It  is  called  Communion  in 
1  Cor.  10:16;  Lord's  Supper  in  1  Cor.  11:20;  Cup  of  blessing 
in  1  Cor.  10:16;  the  Lord's  table  in  1  Cor.  10:21;  and  the 
"Breaking  of  Bread"  in  Acts  2:  42.  The  word  Eucharist  comes 
from  a  Greek  word  signifying  "to  give  thanks."  Matt.  26:27. 
Roman  Catholics  and  Lutherans  often  call  it  "the  sacrament 
of  the  altar." 

In  the  church  at  Corinth,  and  no  doubt  elsewhere,  the 
administration  of  Communion  was  preceded  by  Agapae  or  love 
feasts,  meals  at  which  all  communicants  were  assembled, 
but  which  soon  after  degenerated  in  character,  as  shown  by 
1  Cor.  11:20-34.  Communion  was  instituted  by  our  Savior,  as 
recorded  in  Matt.  26:26-28;  Mark  14:22-24;  Luke  22:17-20; 
1  Cor.  10: 16,  17;  and  in  1  Cor.  11:  23-26,  printed  above  under 
Q.  59. 

2)  The  nature  of  this  sacrament: 

"The  Lord's  Supper  is  a  sacrament,  wherein,  by  giving 
and  receiving  bread  and  wine,  according  to  Christ's  appoint- 
ment, his  death  is  showed  forth;  and  the  worthy  receivers 
are,  not  after  a  corporeal  and  carnal  manner,  but  by  faith, 
made  partakers  of  his  body  and  blood,  with  all  his  benefits,  to 
their  spiritual  nourishment,  and  growth  in  grace."  (Shorter 
Catechism.) 

The  outward  sign  in  the  Lord's  Supper  is  bread  which  is 
broken,  and  wine  which  is  poured  forth  in  remembrance  of 
the  suffering  and  death  of  Jesus,  according  to  1  Cor.  11:24: 
"This  do  in  remembrance  of  me."  As  such  it  is  to  be  ob- 
served "till  he  come." 

Communion  signifies  and  seals  that  Christ  with  his  cruci- 
fied body  and  shed  blood  feeds  and  nourishes  the  souls  of  his 
believing  people  to  everlasting  life.  It  shows  that  our  Re- 
deemer, through  his  obedience  unto  death,  became  the  merit- 
ing cause  of  our  salvation.    It  is  meant  not  only  as  a  sign  of 


200  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 


spiritual  good,  but  also  as  a  seal  of  the  love  of  Christ  toward 
his  own.  It  is  a  covenanting  ordinance,  since  God  by  it  con- 
firms his  covenant  of  grace  with  all  of  its  promises  to  us. 

From  the  side  of  the  believers  it  is  meant  as  a  witnessing 
ordinance  professing  our  trust  in  Christ  and  in  his  sacrifice 
as  the  onh  ground  of  our  acceptance  with  the  Father,  so  that - 
the  world  may  take  knowledge  of  our  appreciation  and  accept- 
ance of  Ihe  Savior  and  his  work.  Besides  this,  our  commun- 
ing with  our  fellow-believers  is  a  manifestation  of  the  Com- 
munion of  Saints,  which  we  profess  in  the  Apostle's  Creed. 

Communion  is  also  a  commemorative  ordinance.  This,  as 
well  as  other  features,  is  beautifully  brought  out  in  the  Form 
of  the  administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper  in  the  Liturgy  of 
the  Reformed  Churches,  which  declares  the  following  con- 
cerning the  end  or  purpose  of  the  sacrament: 

"Now  after  this  manner  are  we  to  remember  him  by  it: 

"First.  That  we  are  confidently  persuaded  in  our  hearts, 
that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  (according  to  the  promises  made  to 
our  forefathers  in  the  Old  Testament)  was  sent  of  the  Father 
into  the  world;  that  he  assumed  our  tlesh  and  blood;  that  he 
bore  for  us  the  wrath  of  God  (under  which  we  should  have 
perished  everlastingly)  from  the  beginning  of  his  incarnation, 
to  the  end  of  his  life  upon  earth;  and  that  he  hath  fulfilled, 
for  us,  all  obedience  to  the  divine  law,  and  righteousness: 
especially,  when  the  weight  of  our  sins  and  the  wrath  of  God 
pressed  out  of  him  the  bloody  sweat  in  the  garden,  where  he 
was  bound  that  we  might  be  freed  from  our  sins:  that  he  af- 
terwards suffered  innumerable  reproaches,  that  we  might 
never  be  confounded.  That  he  was  innocently  condemned  to 
death,  that  we  might  be  acquitted  at  the  judgment-seat  of  God: 
yea,  that  he  suffered  his  blessed  body  to  be  nailed  on  the  cross 
—that  he  might  fix  thereon  the  handwriting  of  our  sins;  and 
hath  also  taken  upon  himself  the  curse  due  to  us,  that  he  might 
fill  us  with  his  blessings:  and  hath  humbled  himself  unto  the 
deepest  reproach  and  pains  of  hell,  both  in  body  and  soul,  on 
the  tree  of  the  cross,  when  he  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  My 
God,  my  God!  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?  that  we  might  be 
accepted  of  God,  and  never  be  forsaken  of  him:  and  finally 
confirmed  with  his  death  and  shedding  of  his  blood,  the  new 
and  eternal  testament,  that  covenant  of  grace  and  rec-oncilia- 
tion  when  he  said.  It  is  finished. 

"Secondly.  And  that  we  might  firmly  believe  that  we  be- 
long to  this  covenant  of  grace,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  his 
last  Supper,  took  bread,  and  when  he  had  given  thanks,  he 
brake  it,  and  gave  it  to  his  disciples,  and  said.  Take,  eat,  this 
is  mv  body  which  is  broken  for  you,  this  do  in  remembrance 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER  AND  CHURCH  DISCIPLINE         201 

of  me;  in  like  manner  also  after  supper  he  took  the  cup,  gave 
thanks  and  said,  Drink  ye  all  of  it;  this  cup  is  the  new  testa- 
ment in  my  blood,  which  is  shed  for  you  and  for  many,  for  the 
remission  of  sins;  this  do  ye  as  often  as  ye  drink  it  in  re- 
membrance of  me:  that  is,  as  often  as  \e  eai  of  this  bread  and 
drink  of  this  cup,  you  shall  thereby  as  by  a  sure  remembrance 
and  pledge,  be  admonished  and  assured  of  this  my  hearty  love 
and  faithfulness  towards  you;  that,  whereas  you  should  other- 
wise have  suffered  eternal  death,  I  have  given  my  body  to  the 
death  of  the  cross,  and  shed  my  blood  for  you;  and  as  cer- 
tainly feed  and  nourish  your  hungry  and  thirsty  souls  with  my 
crucified  body,  and  shed  blood,  to  everlasting  life,  as  this 
bread  is  broken  before  your  eyes,  and  this  cup  is  given  to  you, 
and  you  eat  and  drink  the  same  with  your  mouth,  in  remem- 
brance of  me. 

"From  this  institution  of  the  Holy  Supper  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  we  see  that  he  directs  our  faith  and  trust  to  his 
perfect  sacrifice  (once  offered  on  the  cross)  as  to  the  only 
ground  and  foundation  of  our  salvation,  wherein  he  is  become 
to  our  hungry  and  thirsty  souls,  the  true  meat  and  drink  of  life 
eternal.  For  by  his  death  he  hath  taken  away  the  cause  of  our 
eternal  death  and  misery,  namely,  sin:  and  obtained  for  us  the 
quickening  Spirit,  that  we  by  the  same  (which  dwelleth  in 
Christ  as  in  the  head,  and  in  us  as  his  members)  might  have 
true  communion  with  him,  and  be  made  partakers  of  all  his 
blessings,  of  life  eternal,  righteousness  and  glory. 

"Besides,  that  we  by  the  same  Spirit  may  also  be  united 
as  members  of  one  body  in  true  brotherly  love,  as  the  hoh 
Apostle  saith.  For  we,  being  many,  are  one  bread  and  one 
body:  for  we  are  all  partakers  of  that  one  bread.  For  as  out 
of  many  grains  one  meal  is  ground,  and  one  bread  baked,  and 
out  of  many  berries  being  pressed  together,  one  wine  floweth, 
and  mixeth  itself  together;  so  shall  we  all,  who  by  a  true  faith 
are  ingrafted  into  Christ,  be  altogether  one  body,  through 
brotherly  love,  for  Christ's  sake,  our  beloved  Savior,  who  hath 
so  exceedingly  loved  us;  and  not  only  show  this  in  word,  but 
also  in  very  deed  towards  one  another." 

3)  The  elements  or  material  signs  of  Communion  are 
bread  and  wine.  The  Reformed  Churches  use  ordinary  bread 
since  the  essential  point  in  the  sacrament  is  that  of  nourishing 
our  souls  as  outward  bread  strengthens  our  body.  At  the 
institution  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  no  doubt,  unleavened  bread 
was  used,  since  this  was  the  kind  prescribed  for  Passover  use, 
according  to  Ex.  12: 18,  19.  The  Greek  or  Eastern  Church,  in- 
sists on  the  bread  being  leavened,  by  way  of  antagonism  to  the 
Jews.  The  Roman  and  Lutheran  Churches  make  use  of  un- 
leavened bread,  in  the  shape  of  wafers.    Galvinistic  Churches 


202  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

deem  it  immaterial  whether  the  bread  is  leavened  or  unleav- 
ened, but  employ  only  the  ordinary  kind  of  bread,  since  that 
is  used  among  us  to  feed  our  bodies,  and  can  most  properly 
s\nibolize  what  communion  represents.  For  the  same  reason 
the  ordinary  kind  of  wine  is  also  used. 

4)     Erroneous  views  of  Communion.    They  are  manifold: 

(a)  The  one  is  the  Roman  Catholic  view  that  Communion 
should  be  served  to  the  "laity"  only  in  its  one  form:  bread, 
while  the  priests  alone  use  both  bread  and  wine.  The  Hussites 
of  the  early  part  of  the  fifteenth  century  warred  on  account  of 
this  and  all  the  Churches  of  the  Reformation  emphatically 
protest  against  this  mutilation  of  the  administration  of  the 
sacrament.  They  claim,  and  properly  so,  that  to  the  whole 
Church,  represented  by  the  disciples,  and  not  simply  to  them 
in  their  official  function,  the  command  was  plainly  given, 
Matt.  26:27:  "Drink  ye  all  of  it,"  while  Mark  14:23  records 
that  they  all  drank.  This  is  also  assumed  plainly  in  the  account 
of  Communion  given  by  Paul  in  1  Cor.  11. 

(b)  Question  60  of  our  Compendium  and  its  answer  re- 
mind us  of  another  controversy  with  Rome  concerning  the 
Lord's  Supper.  "Is  the  bread  changed  into  the  body  of  Christ, 
and  the  wine  into  his  blood?"  "No;  no  more  than  the  water 
of  baptism  is  changed  into  the  blood  of  Christ."  The  Roman 
Catholic  as  well  as  the  Greek  Church  believes  in  what  is  called 
transubstantiation,  which  word  denotes  a  real  change  of  the 
whole  substance  of  the  bread  into  the  real  body  of  Christ,  and 
of  the  substance  of  the  wine  into  the  real  blood  of  Christ.  Af- 
ter the  words  of  consecration  are  spoken  by  the  priest:  "this 
is  my  body,  this  is  my  blood,"  it  is  held  that  there  is  present  on 
the  altar  the  true  body  and  blood  of  the  Savior,  even  though 
the  sense  perceives  exactly  the  same  color,form,taste  and  smell 
of  the  elements,  which  were  present  before  the  consecration. 
The  power  to  bring  this  transubstantiation  about  was  given 
to  the  apostles,  it  is  claimed,  when  the  Lord  told  them  to  do 
this  in  commemoration  of  him,  and  this  power  was  passed  on 
from  the  apostles  to  the  bishops  and  priests,  and  by  them  exer- 
cised in  what  is  called  Mass,  which  is  considered  a  "perpetual 
sacrifice,"  essentially  the  same  as  that  of  the  cross,  except  its 
bloodlessness.  Mass  is  followed  by  communion,  both  actions 
together  being  called  Holy  Eucharist.    The  doctrine  of  tran- 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER  AND  CHURCH  DISCIPLINE         203 


substantiation  is  claimed  to  be  based  on  the  literal  words  of 
Christ  when  communion  was  instituted,  "this  is  my  body,  this 
is  my  blood,"  with  reference  to  John  6:  52:  "my  flesh  is  meat 
indeed,  and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed."  It  is  also  asserted  that 
Mass  fulfills  the  prophecy  of  Mai.  1:  11,  "for  from  the  rising 
of  the  sun  even  to  the  going  down  thereof,  my  name  is  great 
among  the  Gentiles,  and  in  every  place  there  is  a  sacrifice,  and 
there  is  otfered  to  m\  name  a  clean  oblation. 

The  Protestant  Churches  reject  this  transubstantiation 
doctrine  on  the  following  grounds: 

1)  Transubstantiation  is  llatly  contradictory  to  the  testi- 
mony of  our  God-given  senses,  which  testify  that  the  elements 
after  the  so-called  consecration  are  exactly  the  same  as  be- 
forehand. 

2)  It  is  against  sound  reason  to  hold  that  the  material 
body  of  our  Lord  may,  without  division,  be  present  in  heaven, 
and  still,  at  the  very  same  time,  be  in  all  kinds  of  places  on 
earth. 

.3)  It  is  contrary  to  the  understanding  the  disciples  had 
of  the  matter  when  Communion  was  instituted,  for  they  ex- 
pressed no  horror  when  Christ  addressed  them,  as  th'.'V  cer- 
tainly would  have  done  so  if  they  had  supposed  that  Christ's 
body  was  in  their  mouths  literally,  while  He  was  sitting  with 
them  at  the  table. 

4)  The  doctrine  is  also  derogatory  ro  the  power  of  the 
atonement  of  our  Lord,  since  it  is  stated  plainly  that  with 
one  offering,  "once  for  all,"  he  procured  salvation  for  his 
people,    Rom.  8:  32;  Heb.  7:  27;  9:  12. 

5)  It  is  contrary  to  Jesus'  own  statement  that  he  would 
leave  the  world,  John  16:  28,  so  that  the  very  purpose  of  Com- 
munion was  to  remember  him. 

The  text  above  alluded  to,  John  (5:52,  is  by  the  Reformed 
taken  in  a  figurative  sense,  since  it  is  plain  from  the  anal- 
ogy of  faith,  as  contained  in  the  Word  of  God,  that  not  partici- 
pation of  Eucharist  is  essential  to  our  having  spiritual  life, 
but  our  reception  of  Christ  by  faith,  as  the  bread  of  life,  as  the 
one  who  gave  his  body  and  blood  unto  the  satisfaction  for  our 
sin  and  the  meriting  of  life  for  all  who  believe  in  him. 

Mai.  1:11  is  explained  in  the  sense  that  during  the  New 
Testament,  not  alone  in  the  land  of  the  Jews,  but  throughout 


204  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


the  world,  God's  people  will  bring  true  spiritual  sacrifices,  as 
these  were  symbolized  by  the  ofTerings  of  the  Old  Testament. 
In  contradiction  of  the  literal  way  in  which  the  words,  "this  is 
my  body,  this  is  my  blood,  are  taken,  attention  may  well  be 
called  to  it  that  the  verb  "to  be"  in  Scripture  as  well  as  in 
common  speech,  is  used  to  express  resemblance  or  represen- 
tation, as,  for  instance  in  "I  am  the  door,"  John  10:9;  "I  am 
the  true  vine,"  John  15:1;  and  in  1  Cor.  11:25,  "this  cup  is 
the  New  covenant  in  my  blood." 

(c)  This  reasonable  conception  of  the  word  "is"  in  the 
institution  of  Communion,  is  also  the  main  reason  for  our  re- 
jection of  the  Lutheran  view  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  which  in- 
volves that  Christ  "in,  with  and  under  the  bread,  gives  us  his 
true  body,  and  in,  with  and  under  the  wine,  his  true  blood." 
This  view  is  sometimes  called  "con-substantiation." 

(d)  Over  against  Luther's  literalism  in  this  regard,  the 
Reformer  Zwingli  asserted  the  opposite  extreme  view,  viz.,  that 
the  Lord's  Supper  was  a  bare  memorial.  But  this  is  likewise 
rejected  by  Calvinists,  for,  while  it  is  true  that  Communion 
was  designed  as  such,  in  a  way,  (1  Cor.  11:24,  25),  it  is  evi- 
dent that  this  is  not  the  complete  view  of  the  sacrament.  The 
self-examination  before  the  partaking  of  Communion,  on 
which  the  Bible  lays  stress,  shows  that  it  is  a  sealing  as  well 
as  a  signifying  or  memorial  ordinance.  "What  the  official  Re- 
formed or  Calvinistic  conception  of  the  Lord's  Supper  is,  is 
expressed  in  Art.  XXXV.  of  the  Confession: 

"We  believe  and  confess,  that  our  Savior  Jesus  Christ  did 
ordain  and  institute  the  sacrament  of  the  holy  supper,  to  nour- 
ish and  support  those  whom  he  hath  already  regenerated  and 
incorporated  into  his  family,  which  is  his  Church.  Now 
those,  who  are  regenerated,  have  in  them  a  twofold  life,  the 
one  corporal  and  temporal,  which  they  have  from  the  first 
birth,  and  is  common  to  all  men:  the  other  spiritual  and  heav- 
enly, which  is  given  them  in  their  second  birth,  which  is 
effected  by  the  word  of  the  gospel,  in  the  communion  of  the 
body  of  Christ;  and  this  life  is  not  common,  but  is  peculiar  to 
God's  elect.  In  like  manner  God  hath  given  us,  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  bodily  and  earthly  life,  earthly  and  common  bread, 
which  is  subservient  thereto,  and  is  common  to  all  men,  even 
as  life  itself.  But  for  the  support  of  the  spiritual  and  neavenly 
life,  which  believers  have,  he  hath  sent  a  living  bread,  which 
descended  from  heaven,  namely,  Jesus  Christ,  who  nourishes 
and  strengthens  the  spiritual  life  of  believers,  when  they  eat 
him,  that  is  to  say,  when  they  apply  and  receive  him  by  faith 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER  AND  CHURCH  DISCIPLINE         205 

in  the  spirit.  Christ,  that  he  might  represent  unto  us  this 
spiritual  and  heavenly  bread,  hath  instituted  an  earthly  and 
visible  bread,  as  a  saerament  of  his  body,  and  wine  as  a  sacra- 
ment of  his  blood,  to  testif>  b>  them  unto  us,  that,  as  cer- 
tainh  as  we  receive  and  hold  this  sacrament  in  our  hands, 
and  eat  and  drink  the  same  with  our  mouths,  by  which  our 
life  is  afterwards  nourished,  we  also  do  as  certainly  receive 
by  faith  (which  is  the  hand  and  moutii  of  our  soul)  the  true 
body  and  blood  of  Christ  our  only  Savior  in  our  souls,  for  the 
support  of  our  spiritual  life.  Now,  as  it  is  certain  and  beyond 
all  doubt,  that  Jesus  Christ  hath  not  enjoined  to  us  the  use  of 
his  sacraments  in  vain,  so  he  works  in  us  all  that  he  repre- 
sents to  us  b>  these  holy  signs,  though  the  manner  surpasses 
our  understanding,  and  cannot  be  comprehended  by  us,  as  the 
operations  of  the  Holy  Ghost  are  hidden  and  incomprehen- 
sible. In  the  meantime  we  err  not,  when  we  say,  that  what  is 
eaten  and  drunk  by  us  is  the  proper  and  natural  body,  and 
the  proper  blood  of  Christ.  But  the  manner  of  our  partaking 
of  the  same,  is  not  by  the  mouth,  but  by  the  spirit  through 
faith.  Thus  then,  though  Christ  always  sits  at  the  right  hand 
of  his  Father  in  the  heavens,  yet  doth  he  not  therefore  cease 
to  make  us  partakers  of  himself  by  faith.  This  feast  is  a  spir- 
itual table,  at  which  Christ  communicates  himself  with  all  his 
benefits  to  us,  and  gives  us  there  to  enjoy  both  himself,  and 
the  merits  of  his  sufferings  and  death,  nourishing,  strengthen- 
ing and  comforting  our  poor  comfortless  souls  by  the  eating 
of  his  flesh,  quickening  and  refreshing  them  by  the  drinking 
of  his  blood.  Further,  though  the  sacraments  are  connected 
with  the  thing  signified,  nevertheless  both  are  not  received  by 
all  men:  the  ungodly  indeed  receives  the  sacrament  to  his 
condemnation,  but  he  doth  not  receive  the  truth  of  the  sacra- 
ment. As  Judas,  and  Simon  the  sorcerer,  both  indeed  received 
the  sacrament,  but  not  Christ,  who  was  signified  by  it,  of 
whom  believers  only  are  made  partakers.  Lastly,  we  receive 
this  holy  sacrament  in  the  assembly  of  the  people  of  God, 
with  humility  and  reverence,  keeping  up  amongst  us  a  holy 
remembrance  of  the  death  of  Christ  our  Savior,  with  thanks- 
giving: making  there  confession  of  our  faith,  and  of  the 
Christian  religion.  Therefore  no  one  ought  to  come  to  this 
table  without  having  previously  rightly  examined  himself; 
lest  by  eating  of  this  bread  and  drinking  of  this  cup,  he  eat 
and  drink  judgment  to  himself.  In  a  w^ord,  we  are  excited  by 
the  use  of  this  holy  sacrament,  to  a  fervent  love  towards  God 
and  our  neighbor.  Therefore  we  reject  all  mixtures  and 
damnable  inventions,  which  men  have  added  unto,  and 
blended  with  the  sacraments,  as  profanations  of  them:  and 
affirm  that  we  ought  to  rest  satisfied  with  the  ordinance 
which  Christ  and  his  apostles  have  taught  us,  and  that  we 
must  speak  of  them  in  the  same  manner  as  they  have  spoken." 
5)  It  is  plain  from  the  above  statements  that  what  is  re- 
quired of  us  to  obtain  the  blessed  benefits  of  this  sacrament 


206  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

is  that  wc  by  faith  appropriate  Christ  to  ourselves  as  he  gives 
himself  to  us. 

As  members  of  the  Church  of  God  through  Baptism,  we 
may  not  rest  until  we,  when  come  to  years  of  discretion,  are 
enabled  by  grace,  to  properly  partake  of  Communion,  in 
obedience  to  the  command  of  the  Savior,  "this  do  in  remem- 
brance of  me"  (Luke  22:19  and  1  Cor.  11:25).  Before  these 
years  of  discretion  we  are  not  allowed  to  partake,  since  we 
as  a  rule,  are  unable  to  rightly,  that  is  spiritually,  to  discern 
the  Lord's  body,  as  Paul  mentions  in  1  Cor.  11:  29  as  a  requi- 
site, and  in  which  statement  we  find  our  ground  for  opposing 
the  giving  of  the  sacrament  to  infants,  as  done  in  the  Greek 
Church. 

What  is  just  mentioned  shows  that  each  one  who  intends 
to  partake  of  this  solemn  ordinance,  is  duty  bound  to  examine 
himself.  The  Compendium  gives  the  following  essential  and 
weighty  points  in  answer  to  the  question  (61):  "After  what 
manner  must  you  examine  yourself  before  you  come  to  the 
Lord's  Supper?": 

1)  I  must  examine  whether  1  abhor  myself  for  my  sins, 
and  humble  myself  before  God  on  account  of  them.  2)  Whether 
I  believe  and  trust  that  all  my  sins  are  forgiven  me  for  Christ's 
sake.  3)  Whether  I  also  have  a  sincere  resolution  hencefor- 
ward, to  walk  in  all  good  works. 

It  is  in  harmony  with  this  that  the  Form  of  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  Lord's  Supper  tells  us: 

"The  true  examination  of  ourselves  consists  of  these 
three  parts: 

"First.  That  every  one  consider  by  himself,  his  sins  and 
the  curse  due  to  him  for  them,  to  the  end  that  he  may  abhor 
and  humble  himself  before  God:  considering  that  the  wrath 
of  God  against  sin  is  so  great,  that  (rather  than  it  should  go 
unpunished)  he  hath  punished  the  same  in  his  beloved  Son 
Jesus  Christ,  with  the  bitter  and  shameful  death  of  the  cross, 

"Secondly.  That  every  one  examine  his  own  heart 
whether  he  doth  believe  this  faithful  promise  of  God,  that  all 
his  sins  are  forgiven  him  only  for  the  sake  of  the  passion  and 
death  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  the  perfect  righteousness  of 
Christ  is  imputed  and  freely  given  him  as  his  own,  yea,  so 
perfectly,  as  if  he  had  satistied  in  his  own  person  for  all  his 
sins,  and  fulfilled  all  righteousness. 

"Thirdly.  That  every  one  examine  his  own  conscience, 
whether  he  purposeth  henceforth  to  show  true  thankfulness 
to  God  in  his  whole  life,  and  to  walk  uprightly  before  him; 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER  AND  CHURCH  DISCIPLINE         207 


as  also,  whether  he  hath  laid  aside  unfeignedly  all  enmity, 
hatred,  and  envy,  and  doth  firmly  resolve  henceforward  to 
walk  in  true  love  and  peace  with  his  neighbor." 

These  three  parts  agree  with  the  three  mentioned  in  the 
opening  words  of  the  Form  of  Baptism,  page  184.  Since 
Communion  is  a  covenanting  and  witnessing  ordinance,  in 
which  we  declare  our  love  toward  Christ  and  his  people  as 
well  as  our  faith  in  the  Redeemer,  it  goes  without  saying  that 
only  those  are  welcome  and  worthy  communicants  whose  life 
and  heart  is  in  agreement  with  the  character  of  the  sacra- 
ment, and  who  accept  the  doctrines  of  grace  involved  in 
the  sacrament. 

Therefore  the  Compendium  asks:  "May  those  be  ad- 
mitted to  the  Lord's  Supper  who  teach  false  doctrines  or  lead 
offensive  lives'?",  and  the  answer  sounds  plain  and  strong: 
"No;  lest  the  covenant  of  God  be  profaned  and  his  wrath 
kindled  against  the  whole  Church." 

The  Old  Testament  gives  an  abundance  or  warnings  about 
the  profaning  of  God's  ordinances  and  its  evil  results  upon 
the  whole  people,  considered  jointly  responsible.  Lev.  10:6; 
Num.  16:22;  Jos.  22:18,  20.  Paul  assures  us  in  1  Cor.  11:30, 
with  reference  to  wrong  use  of  Communion  in  the  Corinth- 
ian church,  "for  this  cause  many  are  weak  and  sickly  among 
you,"  and  in  that  same  chapter,  verses  28  and  29,  he  com- 
mands and  declares:  "But  let  a  man  prove  himself,  and  so 
let  him  eat  of  the  bread  and  drink  of  the  cup.  For  he  that 
eateth  and  drinketh  unworthily,  eateth  and  drinketh  judg- 
ment to  himself,  not  discerning  the  Lord's  body." 

Our  Lord  himself,  in  the  parable  of  the  Guest  without  the 
wedding  garment,  Matt.  22:  1-14,  suggests  the  gi'eat  need  of 
due  preparation  before  we  partake  of  solemn  ordinances  of 
the  Kingdom,  and  the  woeful  results  if  we  neglect  it.  (Com- 
pare 1  Cor.  10:  21;  Matt.  7:  6;  Ps.  50: 16,  17;  Ez.  44:  7-9.) 

The  Form  of  Communion  states: 

"Therefore,  we  also,  according  to  the  command  of  Christ 
and  the  Apostle  Paul,  admonish  all  those  who  are  defiled  with 
the  following  sins,  to  keep  themselves  from  the  table  of  the 
Lord,  and  declare  to  them  that  they  have  no  part  in  the  king- 
dom of  Christ;  such  as  all  idolaters,  all  those  who  invoke  de- 
ceased saints,  angels  or  other  creatures;  all  those  who  wor- 
ship images;  all  encanters,  diviners,  charmers,  and  those  who 
confide  in  such  enchantments;  all  despisers  of  God,  and  of  his 


208  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 


Word,  and  of  the  holy  sacraments;  all  blasphemers;  all  those 
who  are  given  to  raise  discord,  sects  and  mutiny  in  Church  or 
State;  all  perjured  persons;  all  those  who  are  disobedient  to 
their  parents  and  superiors;  all  murderers,  contentious  per- 
sons, and  those  who  live  in  hatred  and  envy  against  their 
neighbors;  all  adulterers,  whoremongers,  drunkards,  thieves, 
usurers,  robbers,  gamesters,  covetous,  and  all  who  lead  of- 
fensive lives. 

"All  these,  while  they  continue  in  such  sins,  shall  abstain 
from  this  meat  (which  Christ  hath  ordained  only  for  the 
faithful),  lest  their  judgment  and  condemnation  be  made  the 
heavier." 

CHURCH  DISCIPLINE. 

6)  Questions  62  and  63  of  the  Compendium  treat  of  what 
is  usually  called  Church  Discipline,  by  which  we  understand 
certain  rules  and  regulations  to  keep  the  Church  of  God  pure 
from  error  in  doctrine  and  irregularity  in  life.  The  word 
Discipline  comes  from  the  word  disciple,  or  learner,  since  it 
contains  the  rules  to  keep  us,  in  doctrine  and  in  conduct,  in 
the  way  of  a  true  follower  of  the  Lord. 

Every  christian  is  to  exercise  discipline  in  a  certain 
sense,  in  wisdom  and  charity.  For  we  are  told  in  Heb.  10:  24: 
"Let  us  consider  one  another  to  provoke  unto  love  and  to 
good  works."  How  we  as  individual  believers  are  to  deal 
with  fellow-believers  who  need  this  private  discipline,  is 
told  in  detail  in  Matt.  18:16-18:  "And  if  thy  brother  sin 
against  thee,  go,  shew  him  his  fault  between  thee  and  hira 
alone:  if  he  hear  thee,  thou  hast  gained  thy  brother.  But  if 
he  hear  thee  not,  take  with  thee  one  or  two  more,  that  at  the 
mouth  of  two  witnesses  or  three  every  word  may  be  estab- 
lished. And  if  he  refuse  to  hear  them,  tell  it  unto  the  church: 
and  if  he  refuse  to  hear  the  church  also,  let  him  be  unto  thee 
as  the  Gentile  and  the  publican." 

These  words  show^  plainly  that  we  are  first  of  all  to  ad- 
monish in  private,  then  with  two  or  three  witnesses,  and  in 
last  instance,  when  all  this  is  in  vain,  we  are  to  inform  the 
church,  that  is,  those  who  represent  it,  for  it  would  be  un- 
charitable to  forthwith  acquaint  the  whole  congregation  with 
the  matter.  The  consistory  is  duty  bound  to  investigate  the 
case,  carefully  and  impartially,  and  if  guilt  is  proven  and  all 
warnings  are  in  vain,  the  guilty  party  is  placed  under  what 
is  called  minor  excommunication,  i.e.  suspension  of  the  rights 


THE  LORD'S  SUPPER  AND  CHURCH  DISCIPLINE         209 


of  church  membership  insofar  as  partaking  of  the  sacraments 
and  voting  at  congregational  meetings  is  concerned.  If  this 
also  is  without  the  proper  results,  the  aid  of  the  whole  con- 
gregation is  invoked  in  what  is  called  major  excommunication 
or  public  discipline,  of  which  the  first  step  is  the  announcing 
of  Uie  sin  of  the  guilty  party,  but  not  the  name,  with  an  ex- 
hortation to  pray  for  the  offender.  If  this  has  not  the  desired 
effect,  the  second  step  of  public  discipline  is  taken,  after  ob- 
taining the  advice  of  the  Classis.  This  second  step  involves 
that  the  name  of  the  erring  party  is  mentioned  from  the  pul- 
pit, as  well  as  his  sin,  with  the  request  that  all  believers  try 
to  labor  with  the  offender  to  bring  him  to  repentance.  In 
case  all  these  efforts  prove  to  be  in  vain,  the  third  step  of 
discipline  is  resorted  to,  the  announcement  of  the  purpose  of 
the  consistory  to  excommunicate  the  impenitent  church  mem- 
ber. Formal  excommunication  is  carried  out  by  means  of  the 
Form  for  this  sad  part  of  the  labors  of  the  office-bearers  of 
the  Church  of  Christ.  Should,  in  course  of  time,  repentance 
be  seen,  the  Church  gladly  welcomes  the  return  of  such,  and 
officially  reinstates  the  brother  or  sister,  by  means  of  the 
Form  of  Re-admitting  Excommunicated  Persons,  which  also 
is  a  part  of  the  Liturgy  of  the  Reformed  Churches. 

If  sins  are  of  a  public  character,  i.e.  giving  public  and 
general  offense,  the  consistory's  duty  is  to  take  such  a  matter 
up  without  waiting  for  a  formal  charge. 

That  the  Head  of  his  Church  will  honor  faithful  exercise 
of  Church  discipline  is  assured  by  his  statement  in  Matt.  1(S: 
18:  "Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  What  things  soever  ye  shall  bind 
on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven:  and  what  things  soever 
ye  shall  loose  on  earth,  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven," 

In  Matt.  16:  19  the  Savior  spoke  of  "the  keys  of  the  King- 
dom of  heaven,"  when  he  assured  his  disciples  that  whatso- 
ever they  should  bind  or  loose  on  earth 'should  be  bound  or 
loosed  in  heaven.  (Compare  .John  20:23.)  From  this  ex- 
pression Church  discipline  has  been  called  the  "power  of  the 
keys,"  which  term  is  explained  in  Q.  83  of  the  Heidelberg 
Catechism  as  signifying:  "The  preaching  of  the  holy  gos- 
pel, and  christian  discipline,  or  excommunication  out  of  the 
christian  church;  by  these  two  the  Kingdom  is  opened  to  be- 
hevers,  and  shut  to  unbelievers."  Compare  Isa.  22:22;  Luke 
11:52;  Rev.  1:18. 


210  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

Article  XXXII.  of  the  Confession  contains  tlie  following 
of  the  Order  and  Discipline  of  the  (Church: 

"In  the  meantime  we  believe,  though  it  is  useful  and 
beneficial,  that  those,  who  are  rulers  of  the  Church,  institute 
and  establish  certain  ordinances  among  themselves  for  main- 
taining the  body  of  the  Church;  yet  they  ought  studiously  to 
take  care,  that  they  do  not  depart  from  those  things  which 
Christ,  our  only  master,  hath  introduced.  And  therefore,  we 
reject  all  human  inventions,  and  all  laws,  which  man  would 
introduce  into  the  worship  of  God,  thereby  to  bind  and  com- 
pel the  conscience  in  any  manner  whatever.  Therefore  we 
admit  only  of  that  which  tends  to  nourish  and  preserve  con- 
cord, and  unity,  and  to  keep  all  men  in  obedience  to  God.  For 
this  purpose,  excommunication  or  church  discipline  is  requi- 
site, with  the  several  circumstances  belonging  to  it,  according 
to  the  Word  of  God." 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Mention  various  names  given  to  the  Lord's  Supper. 

2  What  is  the  nature  oi'  this  sacrament? 

3  Why  is  it  called  a  covenanting  ordinance? 

4  What  is  the   connection   between  the   sacrament   and  the   communion   of 

the  saints? 

6  How  must  Christ  be  remembered  in   communion? 

6  What  can  you   say  about  the   elements   of   communion? 

7  What  is  meant  by  communion  under  both  kinds? 

8  Why  do  we  reject  the  transubstantiation  doctrine? 

9  Which  is  the  Lutheran  view  of  the  Lord's  Supper? 

10  Which  is  the  Zwinglian  view? 

11  Describe  the  Keformed   or   Calvinistic   view   of   communion. 

12  What  is  required  of  us  in  order  to  partake  aright  of  communion? 

13  Wherein  does  the  proper   self-examination   consist? 

14  What  is  meant   by  church  discipline? 

15  What  does  private  discipline   consist  of? 

16  Mention  the  steps  of  public  discipline. 

17  What  is  meant  by  the  keys  of  the  kingdom? 


THE  THIRD  PART. 


Of  the  Gratitude  M^e  o^ve  to  God 
for  Redemption. 


CHAPTER     XXIII. 


GOOD  WORKS. 

Q.  64  Since  we  are  saved  merely  of  grace  through  Christ,  why  must 
we  then  yet  do  good  works? 

A.  Not  to  merit  heaven  thereby    (which  Christ  hath  done) ;    but 

because  this  is  commanded  me  of  God. 

Q.   65     What  purpose  then  do  your  good  works  answer? 

A.  That  I  may  thereby  testify  my  thankfulness  to   God  for  all 

his  benefits,  and  that  he  may  be  glorified  by  me;  and  that 
also  I  may  be  assured  of  the  sincerity  of  my  faith,  by  good 
works,  as  the  fruits  thereof,  and  that  my  neighbors  may  be 
edified  tnereby  and  gained  to  Christ. 

Q.  66     Shall  they  also  be  saved  who  do  no  good  works? 

A.  No;  for  the  Scripture  saith,  that  neither  fornicators,  nor  idol- 

aters, nor  adulterers,  nor  whoremongers,  nor  thieves,  nor 
covetous,  nor  drunkards,  nor  revilers,  nor  robbers,  nor 
such  like,  shall  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God.  1  Cor.  6: 
9,  10,  unless  they  turn  to  the  Lord. 

With  Question  64  the  third  part  of  tlie  Compendium  be- 
gins. Following  its  first  part,  about  our  Misery,  came  its 
second  part  about  Redemption,  the  several  main  doctrines  of 
which  were  talcen  up,  guided  by  the  articles  of  the  Apostles' 
Creed. 

Now  comes  the  third  part,  about  the  Thankfulness  or 
Gratitude  which  ought  to  be  shown  by  those  who  are  deliv- 
ered from  their  sin  and  misery  through  the  Mediator. 

This  third  part  has  in  turn  been  overvalued  by  some  and 
undervalued  by  others. 

People  of  Pelagian  views  have  overvalued  it.  Such  people 
are  found  not  only  in  the  Church  of  Rome,  but  among  Prot- 
estants as  well.  Good  works,  character-building,  christian 
activity,  social  service,  occupies  such  a  large  place  in  their 
thought,  that  they  care  very  little  for  the  doctrines  involved 


212  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

in  our  Misery,  and  sometimes  equally  little  for  what  pertains 
to  our  Redemption.  It  is  to  be  feared  that  many  in  our  days 
make  a  fearful  mistake  in  this  regard,  for  without  a  true  in- 
sight into  our  sinfulness  and  need  of  redeeming  grace,  and 
without  a  hearty  and  daily  surrender  to  the  Christ  of  God, 
our  good  w6rks  are  hollow,  our  character-building  is  devoid 
of  true  solidity,  and  our  christian  activity  and  social  service 
lacks  the  proper  motive  and  sustaining  power. 

But  there  also  have  been  and  are  people  who  sadly  under- 
value the  Gratitude  required  from  christians.  They  are 
known  as  Antinomians,  which  term  signifies  opposition  to  the 
Law,  from  the  words  anti  (against),  and  nomos,  (law).  They 
hold  that  the  grace  of  God  has  annulled  the  law  of  God,  so 
that  they  as  believers  are  no  longer  bound  to  live  according 
to  the  statutes  of  Jehovah.  Theirs  is  the  liberty  with  which 
Christ  has  set  them  free,  as  they  claim.  Some  Antinomians 
dared  to  claim  that  good  works  were  hurtful  to  salvation,  al- 
though most  of  them,  of  course,  did  not  have  the  boldness  to 
make  such  a  statement.  Neither  are  many,  who  are  practical 
Antinomians,  willing  to  go  by  that  name. 

In  France  and  in  the  Netherlands  and  Germany  the  Lib- 
ertines of  Reformation  days  were  Antinomians.  In  England 
the  Ranters  of  the  time  of  Bunyan  were  of  this  class,  and  in 
New  England,  during  the  seventeenth  century,  Mrs.  Hutchin- 
son led  in  proclaiming  antinomian  views.  Antinomian  Bap- 
tist parties  are  still  extant  in  the  United  States. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  Antinomians 
were  also  found  among  the  Dutch  people  in  the  eastern  part 
of  the  United  States,  who  held  that  sanctification  darkened 
our  justification,  that  saints  could  do  no  wrong,  that  sin  could 
not  hurt  them,  that  God  beheld  no  sin  in  them,  and  that  they 
could  sin  with  a  free  conscience.  They  also  asserted  that  saints 
were  not  to  question  whether  or  not  they  actually  believed  in 
Christ,  and  frequently  claimed  that  they  could  infallibly  know 
themselves  and  others  to  be  saints. 

May  the  Lord  keep  us  from  such  God-dishonoring  views 
and  practices! 

The  Reformed  Churches  have  taken  a  stand  between 
these  two  extremes  of  over-  and  undervaluing  Gratitude.  On 
the  one  hand  they  assert  that  experimental  knowledge  of  sin 


GOOD   WORKS  213 


and  of  redemption  is  not  a  thing  of  minor  importance  for  a 
christian  but  of  supi'eme  import,  and  fundamental  in  essence. 
On  the  other  hand  they  hold  that  Gratitude  as  shown  in  Good 
Works,  is  not  fruitless  and  vain,  but  the  natural  and  proper 
result  of  genuine  redeeming  work  of  grace  in  our  hearts,  in 
agreement  with  Christ's  own  statement  that  a  good  tree  bears 
good  fruit.  The  remaining  part  of  the  Compendium  is  devoted 
to  this  third  part  of  what  a  believer  is  to  know  in  order  to 
live  and  to  die  in  true  comfort.  Why  Gratitude  must  be 
shown  is  discussed  in  Q.  64  and  65;  wherein  it  consists,  viz. 
true  Conversion,  is  explained  in  Q.  67  and  68;  its  Rule,  the 
Law  of  God,  is  taken  up  in  Q.  68  and  69;  and  finally  its  most 
important  part.  Prayer,  in  Q.  70-74. 

The  present  Chapter  concerns  itself  with  Good  Works: 
(1)  their  Nature;  (2)  their  Purpose;  (3)  their  Necessity. 

I.  The  Nature  of  Good  Works  is  described  in  Q.  68  as 
acts  "which  proceed  from  a  true  faith,  are  done  according  to 
the  law  of  God,  and  to  his  glory;  and  not  those  which  are 
founded  on  human  institutions,  or  on  our  own  imaginations." 
As  good  works  we  may  enumerate  meditation  on  God's  Word, 
prayer  and  praise,  faithfulness  in  our  calling,  feeding  the 
hungry,  giving  drink  to  the  thirsty,  clothing  the  naked,  har- 
boring the  harborless,  visiting  the  sick  and  the  imprisoned, 
admonishing  sinners,  instructing  the  spiritually  ignorant, 
counseling  the  doubting,  comforting  the  sorrowful,  bearing 
wrongs  patiently,  praying  for  and  loving  even  our  enemies 
and  persecutors,  and  in  general  a  life  of  daily  and  hearty  con- 
secration to  God  and  his  Kingdom.  Matt.  25:41-46;  5:3-16; 
18:  23-35;  Rom.  12: 17-19;  James  5: 19,  20;  Gal.  6: 1. 

As  Christians  we  are  to  engage  diligently  in  performing 
these  works.  Not,  however,  as  Q.  64  reminds  us,  to  merit 
heaven  thereby.  That  would  be  useless,  since  Christ  has  done 
this  for  his  people,  as  confessed  in  the  articles  of  the  Apostles' 
Creed,  based  on  abundant  Bible  testimony.  Acts  4:  12;  Heb.  7: 
25;  10: 14.     (Cf.  Chap.  XVIII,  I.,  §2.) 

Neither  could  we  perform  really  "good"  works,  since  sin 
has  disabled  us  thoroughly,  so  that  those  in  the  flesh  cannot 
please  God,  Rom.  8:8,  and  even  those  who  are  converted  de- 
file even  the  best  of  their  eft'orts  with  so  much  sin,  that  they 
have  reasons  to  be  ashamed  before  a  holy  God.  and  sav  of 


214  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

themselves,  "we  are  unprofitable  servants."  Luke  17:10. 
Nevertheless  good  works  are  to  be  rendered,  even  though  we 
are  saved  merely  of  grace,  "because  this  is  commanded  me  of 
God."  Col.  1:10-12:  "Walk  worthily  of  the  Lord  unto  all 
pleasing,  bearing  fruit  in  every  good  work,  and  increasing  in 
the  knowledge  of  God;  strengthened  with  all  power,  according 
to  the  might  of  his  glory,  unto  all  patience  and  longsuffering 
with  joy;  giving  thanks  unto  the  Father,  who  made  us  meet  to 
be  partakers  of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light."  Eph.  2: 
10;  Phil.  4:  8;  Tit.  2: 11-14;  Matt.  5:  20. 

Our  duty  is  based  upon  God's  ordinance.  Our  works  are 
deeds  of  child-like  obedience,  of  loving  service,  inspired  by  a 
sense  of  gratitude.  Involuntarily  the  question  arises  in  the 
soul  of  the  redeemed:  "What  shall  I  render  unto  the  Lord 
for  all  his  benefits  toward  me?"  And  the  renewed  soul  re- 
plies willingly,  "I  will  take  the  cup  of  salvation,  and  call  upon 
the  Name  of  the  Lord;  I  will  pay  my  vows  unto  the  Lord,"  etc. 
Ps.  116:12-19. 

This  grateful  performance  of  good  works  is  not  done  to 
recompense  the  great  Giver  of  all,  as  if  we  try  to  return  to 
him  an  equivalent  for  what  He  gave  us.  We  cannot  render 
such  an  equivalent  to  God.  The  believer  knows  his  imper- 
fections and  the  imperfections  of  his  efforts  well  enough  to 
banish  from  his  mind  the  thought  of  retribution,  equal  for 
equal.  He  considers  his  works  only  as  slight  tokens  of  affec- 
tion, as  those  of  a  child  toward  a  generous  father. 

IL  The  Compendium  mentions  four  things  as  constitut- 
ing the  Purpose  of  Good  Works. 

1)  To  testify  thankfulness  to  God  for  all  his  benefits, 
that  He  may  be  glorified.  God's  glory  is  the  ultimate  and 
highest  purpose  of  all  the  work  of  redemption.  This  should 
be  aimed  at  by  a  redeemed  people.  And  it  becomes  the  aim 
of  all  those  who  are  truly  called  out  of  darkness  to  God's 
marvelous  light.  They  believe  the  Master's  word,  John  15:8: 
"Herein  is  my  Father  glorified,  that  \e  bear  much  fruit,"  and 
in  dependence  of  Him,  the  true  Vine,  thej  endeavor  to  bear 
fruit,  as  shown  in  Chapter  XXV.  on  Sanctification. 

2)  The  second  purpose  of  good  works  is  that  we  may  be 
assured  of  the  sincerity  of  our  faith  b>  good  works  as  the 
fruit   thereof.     In   Matt.    7:20   the   Lord   told   his   disciples: 


GOOD  WORKS  215 


"Wherefore  by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  Good  works 
proceed  from  faith.  If  true,  living  faith  is  within  us  it  will 
inevitably  reveal  itself  in  deeds  of  faith.  If  we  produce  no 
good  works,  we  have  reasons  to  fear  that  our  faith  is  dead,  as 
James  brought  out  so  strikingly  in  his  Epistle  (2:20).  We 
are  not  to  assume,  however,  that  our  good  works  in  them- 
selves have  the  powe»-  to  assure  us  of  our  calling  and  election. 
(2  Peter  1:9,  10),  and  to  bear  witness  to  the  genuineness  of 
our  faith.  It  is  true,  only  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  is  the  Spirit  of 
true  assurance.  Rom.  8:  1(5  informs  us:  "the  Spirit  himself  bear- 
eth  witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  the  children  of  God." 
But  the  Holy  Ghost  bears  this  witness  in  our  heart  by  means 
of  the  fruits  of  good  works  which  we  bear,  even  as  these 
works  themselves  are  wrought  through  him.  Gal.  5:22; 
Eph.  2:10;  Rom.  5:5. 

3)  The  third  purpose  of  good  works  is  that  our  neigh- 
bors may  be  vv^on  for  Christ.  Matt.  5: 16:  "Let  your  light  so 
shine  before  men  that  they  may  see  your  good  works,  and 
glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  "Men  should  know 
w^e  have  been  with  Jesus,  they  should  feel  his  presence  near, 
as  with  them  we  joy  and  labor,  as  with  them  we  journey 
here."  Men  should  know  this  by  word  and  action,  in  the 
small  things  of  this  life,  as  well  as  in  the  large  ones,  for  not 
by  word  of  lip  is  the  world  convinced  as  much  as  by  the  lov- 
ing deeds  of  service  of  those  who  claim  the  Lord  as  their 
Master. 

The  Bible  speaks  of  wives  winning  their  husbands  for 
the  Lord,  without  the  word,  by  godly  walk,  1  Peter  2:1,  2,  and 
elsewhere  Peter  writes:  "Beloved,  1  beseech  you  as  so- 
journers and  pilgrims,  to  abstain  from  fleshly  lusts,  which 
w^ar  against  the  soul;  having  your  behavior  seemly  among  the 
Gentiles;  that,  wherein  they  speak  against  you  as  evil-doers, 
they  may  by  your  good  works,  which  they  behold,  glorify  God 
in  the  day  of  visitation."     (1  Peter  2: 11,  12.) 

God  grant  us  that  so  our  lips  and  lives  express  the  holy 
gospel  we  profess  and  so  our  works  and  virtues  shine,  that 
they  may  prove  the  doctrine  of  free  grace  as  divine,  by  pro- 
ducing works  which  will  appeal  to  the  ungodly  and  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  may  be  employed  to  startle  and  arouse  them,  to 
make  them  realize  that  there  is  something  divine  in  religion. 


216  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

something  the  world  does  not  have  and  cannot  give,  so  that 
it  may  lead  them  to  seek  their  all  at  the  feet  of  Him  who,  and 
who  alone,  is  able  to  make  them  fellow-saints.  Stephen's 
example  at  death  no  doubt  made  impression  on  Paul  when  he 
was  still  Saul,  and  we  know  from  the  history  of  the  Church, 
especially  in  times  of  persecution,  that  the  christian  way  of 
living  and  dying  displayed  by  the  martyrs  has  had  wonderful 
effects.  That  in  this  a  missionary  motive  is  involved  goes 
without  saying. 

III.  The  Necessity  of  Good  Works  is  involved  in  what 
may  be  called  the  fourth  purpose  of  good  works.  This  is 
mentioned  in  Q.  66.  "Shall  they  also  be  saved,  who  do  no 
good  works?"  "No:  for  the  Scripture  saith,  that  neither  forni- 
cators, nor  idolaters,  nor  adulterers,  nor  whoremongers,  nor 
thieves,  nor  covetous,  nor  drunkards,  nor  revilers,  nor  robbers, 
nor  such  like,  shall  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God,  (1  Cor.  6: 
9,  10),  unless  they  turn  to  the  Lord."  This,  indeed,  is  true. 
Although  our  good  works  will  not  open  heaven  for  us,  the 
pearly  gates  will  not  receive  us  without  them.  Matt.  3: 10; 
Rom.  2:6-11;  Rev.  21:8,  27.  One  who  on  earth  took  no  de- 
light in  deeds  pleasing  to  the  Lord  would  not  fit  in  the  sur- 
roundings of  heaven.  Nor  will  such  a  one  ever  enter  in. 
Heaven  is  only  for  the  ones  who  feared  God  and  began  to  give 
glory  to  Him.    Rev.  14:  7;  Isa.  43:  21;  1  Cor.  6:  20. 

There  is  a  close  connection  between  justification  and 
sanctification,  "because  Christ,  having  redeemed  and  delivered 
us  by  his  blood,  also  renews  us  by  his  Holy  Spirit,  after  his 
own  image,"  as  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  states.     (Q.  86.) 

Enemies  to  the  doctrine  of  free  grace  have  often  charged 
us  with  inconsistency  because  we  disclaim  the  meriting  power 
of  good  works  and  still  insist  upon  their  necessity.  Never- 
theless we  maintain  both.  Because  the  Word  of  God  teaches 
both:  salvation  by  grace,  and  good  works  as  fruits  and  proofs 
of  a  change  of  heart.  The  Confession  of  Faith  states  the  fol- 
lowing on  the  subject  in  Art.  XXIV.: 

"We  believe  that  this  true  faith  being  wrought  in  man  by 
hearing  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  the  operation  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  doth  regenerate  and  make  him  a  new  man,  causing  him 
to  live  a  new  life,  and  freeing  him  from  the  bondage  of  sin. 
Therefore  it  is  so  far  from  being  true,  that  this  justifying  faith 
makes  men  remiss  in  a  pious  and  holy  life,  that  on  the  con- 


GOOD  WORKS  217 


trary  without  it  they  would  never  do  any  thing  out  of  love  to 
God,  but  only  out  of  self-love  or  fear  of  damnation.  There- 
fore it  is  impossible  that  this  holy  faith  can  be  unfruitful  in 
man:  for  we  do  not  speak  of  a  vain  faith,  but  of  such  a  faith, 
which  is  called  in  Scripture,  a  faith  that  worketh  by  love, 
which  excites  man  to  the  practice  of  those  works,  which  God 
has  commanded  in  his  Word.  Wliich  works,  as  they  proceed 
from  the  good  root  of  faith,  are  good  and  acceptable  in  the 
sight  of  God,  forasmuch  as  they  are  all  sanctified  by  his  grace: 
howbeit  they  are  of  no  account  towards  our  justification.  For 
it  is  by  faith  in  Christ  that  we  are  justified,  even  before  we 
do  good  works;  otherwise  they  could  not  be  good  works,  any 
more  than  the  fruit  of  a  tree  can  be  good,  before  the  tree  itself 
is  good.  Therefore  we  do  good  works,  but  not  to  merit  by 
them,  (for  what  can  we  merit?)  nay,  we  are  beholden  to  God 
for  the  good  works  we  do,  and  not  he  to  us,  since  it  is  he  that 
worketh  in  us  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  his  good  pleasure. 
Let  us  therefore  attend  to  what  is  written,  when  ye  shall  have 
done  all  those  things  which  are  commanded  you,  say,  we  are 
unprofitable  servants;  we  have  done  that  which  was  our  duty 
to  do.  In  the  meantime,  we  do  not  deny  that  God  rewards 
our  good  works,  but  it  is  through  his  grace  that  he  crowMis  his 
gifts.  Moreover,  though  we  do  good  works,  we  do  not  found 
our  salvation  upon  them;  for  we  can  do  no  work  but  what  is 
polluted  by  our  flesh,  and  also  punishable;  and  although  we 
could  perform  such  works,  still  the  remembrance  of  one  sin 
is  sufficient  to  make  God  reject  them.  Thus  then  we  should 
always  be  in  doubt,  tossed  to  and  fro  without  any  certainty, 
and  our  poor  consciences  continually  vexed,  if  they  relied  not 
on  the  merits  of  the  sufl'ering  and  death  of  our  Savior." 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  About  whicli   part   of  the   Christian  truth   does   the   third   part   of   the 

Compendium  speak? 

2  Who  overvalue  the  doctrine  of  good  works? 

3  Which  people  have  undervalued  good  works? 
i  Which  is  the  Reformed  view  of  good  works? 

5  Describe  the  nature  of  good  works. 

6  Mention  various  kinds  of  good  works. 

7  Why  do  we  not  consider  good  works  as  a  sort  of  a  recompense  to  God? 

8  Which  is  the  first  purpose  of  good  works? 

9  Which  is  their  second  purpose? 

10  Which  is  their  third  purpose? 

11  What  can  you  say  about  the  NECESSITY  of  good  works? 

12  What  does  the  Confession  (Art.  XXIV.)  say  of  the  root  of  good  works? 

13  Why  can  we  not  build  our  salvation  on  good  works? 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 


CONVERSION. 


Q.  67     Wherein  doth  the  conversion  of  man  consist? 

A.  In  a  hearty  repentance,  and  avoiding  of   sin,  and  in  earnest 

desire  after,  and  doing  of  all  good  works. 

Q.  68     What  are  good  works? 

A.  Only   those   which   proceed   from   a   true   faith,    are   done   ac- 

cording to  the  law  of  God,  and  to  his  glory,  and  not  those 
which  are  founded  on  human  institutions,  or  on  our  own 
imaginations. 

The  closing  words  of  the  Answer  to  Q.  66  (at  the  head  of 
Chapter  XXIII.)  declared  that  turning  to  the  Lord  was  nec- 
essary to  inherit  the  Kingdom  of  God.  That  brings  us  to  the 
subject  of  Conversion,  or  turning,  so  prominently  standing 
forth  in  the  Bible  and  in  all  faithful  preaching.  We  shall 
notice:  (1)  Its  Nature;  (2)  its  two  parts,  repentance  and 
faith;  (3)  kinds  of  conversion;  (4)  the  good  vs^orks  of  conver- 
sion and  their  rule. 

1)  The  Compendium  describes  it  as  consisting  "In  a 
hearty  repentance,  and  avoiding  of  sin,  and  in  an  earnest 
desire  after,  and  doing  all  good  works." 

In  the  Authorized  Version  of  the  Bible  the  word  con- 
version is  used  only  once,  viz.  in  Acts  15:  3,  speaking  of  Paul 
and   Barnabas,   "declaring   the   conversion   of   the   Gentiles." 

Here  the  word  epi-strophe  is  used  which  means  literally: 
to  turn  about,  and  from  this  word  most  of  the  New  Testament 
terms  indicating  conversion  are  derived.  To  "turn  about"  is 
also  the  meaning  of  corresponding  words  employed  in  the 
Old  Testament. 

In  former  days  the  term  conversion  was  used  in  the  wide 
sense  of  indicating  the  entire  renewal  of  a  person,  the  "mor- 
tification of  the  old  and  the  quickening  of  the  old  man,"  as 
the  Heidelberg  Catechism  puts  it  in  Lord's  Day  XXXIII.  This 
is  now  usually  called  Sanctification,  to  be  explained  in  the 
next  Chapter. 

At  present  the  term  conversion  is  usually  employed  in 
the  sense  of  our  first  turning  from  sin,  with  hearty  repent- 


CONVERSION  219 


ancc,  and  our  first  turning  to  Christ  in  faith.  In  that  sense 
we  wish  to  speak  of  it  here. 

Conversion  is  an  outgrowth  of  Regeneration  explained  in 
Chapter  XV.  It  is  the  regenerated  soul's  response  to  the  In- 
ternal Calling  spoken  of  in  Chapter  XVII.  From  God's  side  it 
is  the  act  of  the  Lord  whereby  He  incites  the  regenerated  sin- 
ner to  a  conscious  repenting  of  sin  and  turning  to  him  in  faith. 
This  is  usually  called  active  conversion.  From  the  sin- 
ner's side  it  is  the  conscious  act  of  the  regenerated  person, 
through  God's  grace,  turning  from  sin.  unto  God.  (Passive 
conversion.) 

Conversion  is  demanded  of  us  by  God.  Acts  11:  21;  2  Cor. 
12:21.  We  should  realize  that  God  justly  demands  of  us  to 
turn  from  sin  unto  him,  so  that  the  sense  of  our  obligation, 
coupled  to  the  sense  of  our  inability  to  carry  it  out,  may  drive 
us  to  the  Throne  of  grace  with  the  prayer,  "Turn  us  unto  thee, 
O  LORD,  and  we  shall  be  turned,"  Lam.  5:  21. 

2)  It  has  already  been  suggested  by  what  we  said  about 
its  nature,  that  Conversion  consists  of  two  parts:  Repentance 
and  Faith.  Mark  1: 15:  "Repent  ye,  and  believe  in  the  gospel." 
Acts  20:21:  "Testifying  ....  repentance  toward  God,  and 
faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

(a)  Repentance  is  heartfelt  sorrow  for  sin,  with  self- 
condemnation,  and  turning  from  sin.  The  primary  thought 
of  the  Hebrew  w^ord  in  the  Old  Testament  translated  repent 
is  to  pant,  to  sigh,  to  groan,  and  to  grieve  about  one's  doings. 
The  Greek  word  in  the  New  Testament  usually  translated  as 
repent,  indicates  changing  the  mind.  (Meta-noia.)  It  was 
as  it  were  the  keynote  of  the  preaching  of  John  the  Baptist, 
and  our  Savior  himself  and  his  apostles  repeatedly  pro- 
claimed:   "repent!"  Matt.  3:  2;  4: 17;  Mark  6: 12;  Acts  2:  28. 

Repentance  is  necessary  to  salvation.  Luke  13:3,  5:  "I 
tell  you  nay,  but,  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise 
perish." 

It  is  manifested  in  deep  sorrow  for  sin,  in  self-humilia- 
tion, \ea  self-abhorrence,  as  exemplified  by  the  Publican, 
Luke  18:13,  and  by  Job  42:  G,  and  foretold  and  promised  in 

Ez.  36:31:    "Then  shall  ye  remember  your  evil  ways 

and  ye  shall  loathe  yourselves  in  your  own  sight." 

Repentance  is  also  manifested  in  confession  of  sin  and 


220  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

prayer  to  God  for  mercy  as  shown  by  David  in  Psalm  51.  It 
likewise  involves  turning  away  from  the  evil  ways.  "Let  the 
wicked  forsake  his  ways,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his 
thoughts;  and  let  him  return  unto  the  LORD,  and  he  will  have 
meixy  upon  him,  Isa.  55:7.  Naturally  it  will  lead  to  "doing 
works  worthy  of  repentance,"  Acts  26:20,  that  is,  a  truly 
christian  life,  wherein  one  endeavors  in  the  strength  of  God, 
to  "bring  forth  fruit  worth>  of  repentance,"  Matt.  3:  8.  If  un- 
baptized,  the  repenting  sinner  will  seek  baptism.  Acts  2:  3(S;  if 
not  confessing  the  Lord,  he  will  be  prompted  to  come  to  pub- 
lic acceptance  of  his  covenant  obligations.  Jer.  31:18.  In 
connection  with  faith  repentance  brings  pardon  in  the  blood 
of  Christ.  That  is  the  reason  why  the  Bible  often  connects 
repentance  with  remisssion  of  sin.  Luke  24:47;  Mark  1:4; 
Acts  3: 19:  "Repent  ye  therefore  and  be  converted,  that  your 
sins  may  be  blotted  out."  Repentance  is  God's  gift.  Acts  11: 
18.  "Then  hath  God  also  to  the  Gentiles  granted  repentance 
unto  life." 

Jesus,  once  humbled  but  now  exalted,  gives  repentance. 
Acts  5:30,  31:  "The  God  of  our  fathers  raised  up  Jesus 
for  to  give  repentance  to  Israel  and  remission  of  sins." 

Repentance  is  efifected  through  the  preaching  of  the  Word, 
applied  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Acts  2:37-41:  "Now  when  they 
heard  this,  they  were  pricked  in  their  hearts."  Rom.  2:  4  tells 
us  that  the  goodness  of  God  leads  men  to  repentance.  In  some 
cases  this  is  very  evident.  In  many  instances  God's  rebukes 
bring  about  the  turning  from  sin  and  to  God,  which  constitutes 
repentance.  Ps.  119:  67:  "Before  I  was  afflicted  I  went  astray; 
but  now  have  I  kept  thy  Word."  Rev.  3:19:  "As  many  as  I 
love,  I  rebuke  and  chasten;  be  zealous  therefore  and  repent." 

The  realization,  too,  of  what  the  LORD  is,  has  effected  re- 
pentance. Job  42:  5,  6:  "I  have  heard  of  thee  by  the  hearing 
of  the  ear;  but  now  mine  eye  seeth  thee:  wherefore  I  abhor 
myself  and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes." 

May  God  in  his  mercy  also  grant  unto  us  repentance  unto 
life.    May  we  seek  it  with  weeping  and  supplication.  Jer.  31:  9. 

Of  course,  the  sorrow  for  sin  does  not  manifest  itself  in 
the  same  manner  in  all  the  regenerated  who  come  to  repent- 
ance. A  great  deal  depends  upon  God's  dealings  with  us, 
whether  along  deep  ways  or  not.    Our  temperament  has  some- 


CONVERSION  221 


thing  to  do  with  it  also.  Those  of  a  sanguine,  impulsive  na- 
ture, as  Peter,  will  have  a  different  way  of  manifesting  their 
sorrow  for  sin  than  those  whose  temperament  is  phlegmatic, 
or  choleric  or  melancholic. 

Even  national  characteristics  will  reveal  themselves  in  the 
mode  of  our  repenting.  We  should  be  careful  not  to  measure 
our  way  of  sorrowing  for  sin  with  any  human  standard.  The 
Word  of  God  is  our  guide  in  this  respect  also. 

b)  Faith  is  the  second  part  of  conversion.  True  repent- 
ance always  leads  to  this,  particularly  to  faith  in  Christ  as 
the  Savior.  2  Cor.  7: 10:  "For  godly  sorrow  worketh  repent- 
ance unto  salvation,"  and  since  salvation  is  obtained  only 
through  Christ,  it  inevitably  brings  to  his  feet.  Since  saving 
faith  was  described  in  detail  in  Chapter  VII.,  it  is  needless  to 
discuss  it  here,  except  to  say  that  this  faith  involves  sincere 
acceptance  of  the  gospel  offer,  and  of  the  Savior,  the  heart  of 
the  gospel,  with  cordial  and  repeated  surrender  to  him  as  our 
prophet,  priest  and  king. 

God  grant  us  to  exercise  ourselves  in  this  daily  1 

3)  Kinds  of  Conversions,  This  repenting  of  sin  and 
turning  to  Christ  in  faith  is  not  alike  in  all  cases.  We  there- 
fore speak  of  different  kinds  of  conversions. 

We  speak  of  legal  conversions  in  the  case  of  sharply  out- 
lined experiences,  in  which  a  crisis  takes  place,  definite  and 
plain,  so  that  as  a  rule  the  exact  time  of  repenting  and  turn- 
ing to  Christ  can  be  determined.  This  frequently  takes  place 
in  those  who  walked  on  ways  of  ungodliness.  The  "terror 
of  the  Law"  has  a  good  deal  to  do  with  such  experiences, 
hence  the  name  legal  or  law-like  conversion.  Paul  may  be 
considered  an  example  of  this,  and  Bunyan,  as  he  describes 
his  turning  in  his  "Grace  Abounding." 

The  counterpart  of  legal  conversion  is  evangelical  or  cove- 
nant-like conversion,  which  signifies  a  very  gradual  change 
in  the  religious  life  of  the  soul.  This  is  often  found  in  the 
case  of  children  of  the  Covenant  who  walked  in  the  ways  of 
the  Covenant  from  infancy,  without  noticeably  departing 
from  them. 

In  regard  to  conversion  we  should  be  less  anxious  about 
its  mode  than  about  possessing  its  elements:  sincere  sorrow 
for  sin,  and  fleeing  from  it,  with  self-condemnation,  and  flee- 


222  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

ing  to  Christ.  We  ought  to  carefully  examine  ourselves 
whether  or  not  we  know  something  of  these  elements  in  our 
own  experience.  For  there  is  not  alone  a  genuine  and  inward 
conversion,  such  as  outlined  above,  but  also  an  outward  one 
caused  by  the  temporal  loss,  and  fear  of  punishment. 

Esau  has  been  considered  one  in  whom  there  was  only 
this  outward  conversion.  Judas'  grief  and  Cain's  sorrow 
were  evidently  also  of  this  sort. 

In  case  a  large  number  of  people  turn  to  God  at  one  time, 
as  in  the  instance  of  the  Ninevites,  Jonah  3,  we  speak  of 
national  conversion. 

In  the  history  of  Missions  we  meet  with  examples  of 
tribal  or  village  conversion.  Naturally  not  all  of  these  are  of 
the  true  kind. 

We  may  also  distinguish  between  first  and  daily  conver- 
sion, by  the  first  meaning  the  beginning  of  our  turning  to  God 
in  repentance  and  faith,  and  by  the  latter  a  daily  returning  to 
the  Lord,  with  sorrow  for  sin,  even  as  our  Savior  taught  us 
to  pray  daily  for  forgiveness  of  our  trespasses. 

In  the  Canons  of  Dordrecht,  III.,  IV.,  Art.  11,  we  are  told 
regarding  conversion : 

"But  when  God  accomplishes  his  good  pleasure  in  his 
elect,  or  works  in  them  true  conversion,  he  not  only  causes 
the  gospel  to  be  externally  preached  to  them,  and  powerfully 
illuminates  the  minds  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  that  they  may 
rightly  understand  and  discern  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God;  but  by  the  efficacy  of  the  same  regenerating  Spirit,  per- 
vades the  inmost  recesses  of  the  man;  he  opens  the  closed, 
and  softens  the  hardened  heart,  and  "circumcises  that  which 
was  uncircumcised;  infuses  new  qualities  into  the  will,  which 
though  heretofore  dead,  he  quickens;  from  being  evil,  dis- 
obedient, and  refractory,  he  renders  it  good,  obedient,  and 
pliable;  actuates  and  strengthens  it,  that  like  a  good  tree,  it 
may  bring  forth  the  fruit  of  good  actions." 

Do  we  know  something  of  this  experimentally? 

Let  our  daily  prayer  be  that  of  Jeremiah  31:18:  "Turn 
thou  me  and  I  shall  be  turned,  for  Thou  art  the  LORD  my 
God." 

4)  If  we  know  really  what  conversion  means,  then  we 
shall  also  delight  in  the  good  works  which  Q.  68  mentions. 
They  are  the  fruits  or  manifestations  of  heart  conversion. 
Since  we  have  repeatedly  spoken  of  them,  in  the  preceding 
Chapter  as  well  as  in  the  one  on  Justification,  it  will  suffice 


CONVERSION  223 


here  to  just  state  that  "good  works,"  according  to  the  Bible, 
must  indeed  have  the  threefold  mark  mentioned  in  Q.  G8,  as 
to  their  principle,  their  rule,  and  their  aim. 

Faith  must  be  their  principle,  since  Paul  assures  us, 
Rom.  14:23:    "for  whatsoever  is  not  of  faith  is  sin." 

Their  rule  must  be  the  law  of  God,  for:  "in  vain  do  they 
worship  me,  teaching  for  doctrines  the  commandments  of 
man."  Matt.  15:9.  This  is  also  shown  by  Isa,  8:20;  Ez.  36: 
27;  James  2:8;  Coll.  2:' 23. 

About  the  only  acceptable  aim  or  purpose  of  good  works, 
we  are  told  in  1  Cor.  10:31:  "Whether  therefore  ye  eat  or 
drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God." 
Rom.  11:36. 

The  reference  of  the  Compendium  to  works  founded  on 
human  institutions  and  imaginations,  refers  principally  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  which  places  next  to  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments of  God  the  "Six  Commandments  of  the  Church," 
viz.,  hearing  Mass,  fasting,  confessing  sin  at  least  once  a  year, 
receiving  Eucharist  at  Easter,  contributing  to  the  support  of 
pastors,  and  not  marrying  within  forbidden  degrees  of  kin- 
dred or  at  the  forbidden  times.  Voluntary  poverty  and  ab- 
staining from  marriage  are  also  considered  good  and  meri- 
torious bv  the  Roman  Church. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Which  words  are  used  in  the  Bible  to  describe  conversion? 

2  Which  meaning  was  attached  formerly  to  the  term  conversion? 

3  What  is  understood  by  it  at  present? 

4  Describe  the  difference  between  active  and  passive  conversion. 

5  Prove  that  there  are  two  parts  to  conversion. 

6  What  is  meant  by  repentance,  the  first  part  of  conversion? 

7  Why  is  repentance  necessary? 

8  How  does  repentance  manifest  itself? 

9  How  is  repentance  brought  about  or  effected? 

10  Does  repentance  manifest  itself  alike  in  all  persons? 

11  Which  is  the  second  part  of  conversion? 

12  What  is  the  action  of  faith  in  conversion? 

13  Mention  the  various  kinds  of  conversion. 

14  Wh'ch  are  the  essential  elements  of  conversion? 

15  What  is  meant  by  outward  conversion? 

16  What  is  meant  by  national  conversion? 

17  What  are  good  works  in  connection  with  conversion? 

18  Which  is  the  principle  of  good  works? 

19  What  is  the  rule  of  good  works? 

20  What  should  be  the  aim  of  good  works? 


CHAPTER    XXV. 


SANCTIFICATION. 


Q.  69     Can  they,  wlio  are  converted  to  God,  perfectly  keep  the  law?^ 
A.  Not  at  all;  but  even  the  most  holy  men,  as  long  as  they  are  in 

this  life,  have  only  a  small  beginning  of  this  obedience; 
yet  so,  that  they  with  a  sincere  resolution  begin  to  live  not 
only  according  to  some,  but  according  to  all  the  command- 
ments of  God,  as  they  also  constantly  pray  to  God  that  they 
may  daily  increase  therein. 

In  the  preceding  lesson  it  was  stated  that  the  term  con- 
version was  formerly  taken  in  the  wide  sense  of  the  entire 
renewal  of  a  person,  the  "mortification  of  the  old  and  the 
quickening  of  the  new  man,"  as  the  Catechism  expresses  it  in 
Lord's  Day  33.  We  said  that  this  is  at  present  called  sancti- 
fication,  thereby  distinguished  from  conversion,  which  term  is 
employed  in  our  days,  to  indicate  our  first  turning  from  sin 
in  repentance,  and  our  first  turning  to  the  Lord  in  faith.  It 
is  to  sanctiflcation  that  this  present  Chapter  is  devoted.  We 
shall  notice:  (1)  its  names  and  nature;  (2)  its  two  sides, 
active  and  passive;  (3)  perfectionism;  (4)  perseverance; 
(5)  the  means;  and  (6)  the  necessity  of  sanctitication. 

1)  Names  and  Nature  of  Sanctiflcation.  The  word  comes 
from  two  Latin  words  and  means  literally:  "to  make  holy." 
The  corresponding  Old  Testament  words  used  signify:  to 
cut  off  in  order  to  separate  for  holy  purposes.  The  Bible 
uses  the  word  "holy"  to  express  three  ideas:  separation  from 
evil,  devotion  to  God  and  his  service,  and  becoming  "whole," 
i.e.  sound  and  pure.  2  Chron.  5:29:  "Sanctify  now  your- 
selves, and  sanctify  the  house  of  the  Lord,  ....  and  carry 
forth  the  filthiness  out  of  the  holy  places."  Compare  1  Thess. 
4:3;  Heb.  9:  3.  God  himself  is  called  the  Holy  One  to  show 
that  he  is  absolutely  removed  from  what  is  sinful  and  un- 
holy, devoted  to  himself  as  the  highest  good,  and  absolutely 
pure.  Different  things  connected  with  God  are  called  holy 
for  the  same  reason,  such  as  his  Name,  Lev.  20:3;  his  arm, 
Ps.  98: 1;  his  covenant,  Dan.  11:  28.    Priests  and  Levites  were 


SANCTIFICATION  225 


also  called  holy  in  the  sense  of  being  separated  and  devoted 
to  his  service,  as  was  also  the  case  with  places,  times  and  in- 
struments of  the  sanctuary.    Lev.  19:6;  29:43-46;  Ex.  29. 

Lev.  27: 14  speaks  of  sanctifying  one's  house  to  the  Lord, 
in  the  sense  of  solemnly  devoting  it  to  God. 

Sanctiflcation  may  be  defined  as  "the  work  of  God's  free 
grace,  whereby  we  are  renewed  in  the  whole  man  after  the 
image  of  God,  and  enabled  more  and  more  to  die  unto  sin,  and 
to  live  unto  righteousness."  (Shorter  Catechism.) 

Sanctiflcation  is  not  instantaneous  in  character,  as  regen- 
eration and  justification,  but  a  progressive  work,  a  process. 
The  Bible  speaks  of  growing  in  grace,  abounding  in  love,  in- 
creasing in  love,  perfecting  our  holiness.  1  Thess.  3:12; 
2  Peter  3:18;  Eph.  4:11-15. 

2)  The  two  sides  of  Sanctiflcation,  There  are  two  sides 
to  sanctiflcation,  i.e.  a  divine  and  a  human.  Therefore,  for 
the  same  reason  as  we  spoke  of  active  and  passive  conversion, 
so  we  distinguish  between  active  and  passive  sanctiflcation. 

(a)  By  active  sanctiflcation  we  understand  the  work  of 
grace  which  God  does  in  his  regenerated  and  converted  peo- 
ple, to  renew  his  image  in  them  and  to  enable  them  to  die  to 
sin  and  live  for  him.  The  Bible  ascribes  it  to  each  of  the  three 
divine  persons,  though  particularly  to  the  third  Person. 

It  is  ascribed  to  God  the  Father.  1  Thess.  5:  23,  24:  "And 
the  God  of  peace  himself  sanctify  you  wholly.  .  .  ,  faithful  is 
he  that  calleth  you,  who  will  also  do  it."  In  John  17: 17  Jesus 
prayed  to  the  Father:    "sanctify  them  through  thy  truth." 

It  is  ascribed  to  God  the  Son.  Heb.  10: 10:  "By  the  which 
will  we  have  been  sanctified  through  the  offering  of  the  body 
of  Jesus  Christ,  once  for  all."  And  Paul  assures  us  that  Christ 
loved  the  Church  and  gave  himself  for  it,  "that  he  might 
sanctify  it,"  Eph.  5:  25,  27,  while  in  1  Cor.  1:  30  it  is  stated  that 
the  Mediator  was  "made  unto  us  ...  .  sanctiflcation." 

But  particularly  is  sanctiflcation  ascribed  to  the  Holy 
Spirit.  1  Peter  1:2:  "Elect  according  to  the  foreknowledge 
of  God  the  Father,  through  sanctiflcation  of  the  Spirit." 
2  Thess.  2: 13:  "Because  God  hath  from  the  beginning  chosen 
you  to  salvation  through  sanctiflcation  of  the  Spirit  and  be- 
lief of  the  truth."  The  third  Person  is  called  Holy  not  sim- 
ply because  he  is  absolutely  free  from  sin.     Such  is  also  the 


226  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

case  with  the  other  divine  Persons.  But  also  because  he  pro- 
duces holiness  in  the  believers,  setting  them  aside  and  purify- 
ing them. 

The  triune  God  in  worliing  sanctification  not  only  works 
in  the  conscious  life  of  the  believer,  but  also  in  the  uncon- 
scious life,  in  the  root  of  regeneration  which  was  implanted 
in  the  new  birth,  (Chapter  XV.),  and  in  all  the  faculties  of  the 
human  soul,  (Chapter  XL,  I.,  p.  87).  Blessed  operation  this 
activity  of  God  in  our  hearts!  Let  us  pray  for  it,  in  daily  sup- 
plication. 

(b)  But  there  is  also  a  human  side  to  sanctification.  This 
we  call  the  passive  sanctification.  The  Bible  presents  it  as 
something  which  we  must  pursue,  or  seek  earnestly.  Rom.  6: 
19,  22:  "Present  your  members  as  servants  to  righteousness 
unto  sanctification."  2  Cor.  6:  17:  "Wherefore  come  out  from 
among  them  and  be  ye  separate  saith  the  Lord,  and  touch  not 
the  unclean  thing;  and  I  will  receive  you."  "Having  there- 
fore those  promises,  beloved,  let  us  cleanse  ourselves  from  all 
filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,  perfecting  holiness  in  the 
fear  of  God."    2  Cor.  7:  1. 

The  believer  is  enabled  to  obey  these  divine  exhortations 
because  of:  (1)  his  regeneration,  whereby  he  was  created  in 
Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,  Eph.  2:10;  (2)  his  incorpora- 
tion into  Christ  as  the  true  Vine,  John  15: 1-7;  and  (3)  the  in- 
dwelling of  the  Holy  Spirit,  1  Cor.  6: 19. 

It  is  very  important  to  hold  to  both  sides  of  this  work  of 
grace.  Failure  to  acknowledge  God's  pari  in  it  will  lead  to 
a  going  about  to  establish  our  own  righteousness  that  will  in- 
volve endless  discouragement  in  christian  life.  And  failure 
to  acknowledge  man's  part  in  it  will  lead  to  antinomian  errors 
of  doctrine  and  laxness  in  life. 

3)  Perfectionism.  The  Reformed  Churches  do  not  hold 
the  doctrine  of  Perfectionism,  which  teaches  that  believers 
can  become  entirely  holy  in  this  life.  Perfectionists  are  found 
among  Romanists,  who  teach  that  in  some  cases,  by  a  special 
privilege  of  God,  one  who  is  justified  ma>  avoid  all  sins  and 
even  offer  an  obedience  beyond  the  demands  of  the  Law. 

The  Wesleyan  Arminians,  the  Fri-^nds,  or  Quakers,  the 
followers  of  the   Oberlin   School   in   America,   and   scattered 


SANCTIFICATION  227 


groups  of  christians  in  the  United  States,  teach  peifection 
in  a  relative  sense. 

One  of  their  fundamental  mistakes  is  that  they  identify 
the  beginning  and  principle  of  the  mortifying  of  our  old  na- 
ture with  the  complete  uprooting  of  sin.  Moreover,  a  good 
many  things  which  the  Bible  condemns  as  sin,  such  as  sinful 
thoughts  and  inclinations,  are  not  acknowledged  as  sinful  by 
the  perfectionists.  Ps.  51:5,  6;  Matt.  5:28.  If  we  bear  these 
two  errors  in  the  conception  of  these  people  in  mind,  the 
texts  which  they  usually  quote  in  proof  of  their  claim  will 
explain  themselves.  For  that  matter,  the  Word  of  God  is 
very  plain  on  the  subject  mentioned  in  Q.  69  of  the  Com- 
pendium: "Can  they  who  arc  converted  to  God,  perfectly 
keep  the  law?"  Answer:  "Not  at  all,  but  even  the  most  holy 
men,  as  long  as  they  are  in  this  life,  have  only  a  small  be- 
ginning of  this  obedience."  That  is  clear  from  the  exclama- 
tions of  the  most  advanced  saints  themselves,  such  as  Abra- 
ham, in  Gen.  12:12;  Isaac,  in  Gen.  26:5;  Isaiah,  in  Isa.  6:5; 
Daniel,  in  Dan.  9:4;  and  Paul,  in  Rom.  7:7-26.  Moreover, 
the  Bible  teaches:  "in  many  things  we  offend  all,"  James  3:2; 
"for  there  is  no  man  that  sinneth  not,"  I  Kings  8:46;  "for 
there  is  not  a  just  man  upon  earth  that  doeth  good  and  sin- 
neth not."    Eccl.  7:20. 

4)  Perseverance.  But  while  it  is  denied  by  the  Re- 
formed Churches  that  sanctification  can  be  obtained  fully  in 
this  life,  they  maintain  over  against  Arminians  and  Pelagians 
of  all  sorts,  that  the  true  work  of  sanctifying  grace  in  God's 
regenerated  people  is  never  totally  lost.  In  other  words,  they 
believe  in  the  pterseverance  of  the  saints,  in  opposition  to 
those  who  claim  that  one  may  "fall  from  grace." 

In  Canon  Y.  it  is  stated  that,  although  true  believers  may 
at  times  be  overcome  by  sin  and  lose  the  sense  of  God's  favor 
for  a  time,  until  they  return  into  the  right  way  by  serious 
repentance,  yet  that  "God  who  is  rich  in  mercy,  according  to 
his  unchangeable  purpose  of  election,  does  not  wholly  with- 
draw the  Holy  Spirit  from  his  own  people,  even  in  their 
melancholy  falls;  nor  suffers  them  to  proceed  so  far  as  to  lose 
the  grace  of  adoption,  and  forfeit  the  state  of  justification,  or 
to  commit  the  sin  unto  death;  nor  does  he  permit  them  to  be 
totally  deserted,  and  to  plunge  themselves  into  everlasting  de- 
struction. 

"For  in  the  first  place,  in  these  falls  he  preserves 
in  them  the  incorruptible  seed  of  regeneration  from  perishing 


228  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

or  being  totally  lost;  and  again,  by  his  Word  and  Spirit,  cer- 
tainly and  efFcctually  renews  them  to  repentance,  to  a  sincere 
and  godly  sorrow  for  their  sins,  that  they  may  seek  and  ob- 
tain remission  in  the  blood  of  the  Mediator,  may  again  experi- 
ence the  favor  of  a  reconciled  God,  through  faith  adore  his 
mercies,  and  henceforward  more  diligently  work  out  their 
own  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling. 

"Thus,  it  is  not  in  consequence  of  their  own  merits, 
or  strength,  but  of  God's  free  mercy,  that  they  do  not  totally 
fall  from  faith  and  grace,  nor  continue  and  perish  finally  in 
their  backslidings;  which,  with  respect  to  themselves,  is  not 
only  possible,  but  would  undoubtedly  happen;  but  with  re- 
spect to  God,  it  is  utterly  impossible,  since  his  counsel  cannot 
be  changed,  nor  his  promise  fail,  neither  can  the  call  accord- 
ing to  his  purpose  be  revoked,  nor  the  merit,  intercession  and 
preservation  of  Christ  be  rendered  ineffectual  nor  the  sealing 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  be  frustrated  or  obliterated. 

"And  as  it  hath  pleased  God,  by  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel,  to  begin  this  work  of  grace  in  us,  so  he  preserves, 
continues  and  perfects  it  by  the  hearing  and  reading  of  his 
Word,  by  meditation  thereon,  and  by  the  exhortations,  threat- 
enings.  and  promises  thereof,  as  well  as  by  the  use  of  the 
sacraments." 

5)  As  mentioned  in  the  last  paragraph  printed  above 
(Art.  14),  the  Lord  employs  means  to  preserve,  continue  and 
perfect  the  work  of  sanctification  in  his  people.  That  the 
sacraments  are  blessed  to  this  effect  is  shown  in  Chapter  XX. 

The  use  of  the  Bible,  in  hearing  it  preached,  in  reading  it 
and  meditating  on  it  is  plainly  taught  by  the  Savior  in  John 
15:3,  and  17: 17:  "Now  are  ye  clean  through  the  word  which 
I  have  spoken  to  you;  sanctify  them  in  the  truth:  thy  word 
is  truth." 

Fellowshipping  with  God's  people,  and  above  all  learning 
the  secret  of  abiding  in  Christ,  John  15:4-7,  is  of  prime  im- 
portance for  growth  in  sanctification. 

God  also  employs  chastisements  "to  make  us  partakers  of 
his  holiness,"  Heb.  12:10,  11.  Thereto  belong  all  matters  of 
afflictions  in  body  and  soul,  in  our  beloved  and  in  our  earthly 
affairs,  so  that  the  saints  often  "enter  through  many  tribula- 
tions." But  in  Christ  they  are  more  than  conquerors.  And, 
moreover,  their  "chastisements."  as  "light  afflictions,"  sent  by 
a  Father's  hand,  with  a  Father's  heart  back  of  it.  are  essen- 
tially different  from  the  "punishments"  meted  out  by  a  just 
God,  as  spoken  of  in  Chapter  V. 


SANCTIFICATION  229 


6)  The  Necessity  of  Sanctification.  Answer  69  of  the 
Compendium  stales,  that  although  those  who  are  converted, 
even  the  most  holy  of  God's  children,  have  only  a  small 
beginning  of  this  obedience,  "yet  so  that  they,  with  a  sincere 
resolution,  begin  to  live  not  only  according  to  some,  but  ac- 
cording to  all  the  commandments  of  God,  as  they  also  con- 
stantly pray  to  God  that  they  may  daily  increase  therein." 
That  shows  the  necessity  of  sanctification. 

We  are  assured  by  Acts  20:  32  that  God  gives  "an  inherit- 
ance among  all  them  who  are  sanctified."  In  Matt.  5:8  Christ 
promised  to  the  pure  in  heart:  "they  shall  see  God."  Heb.  12:14 
tells  us  emphatically :  "Without  sanctification  no  man  shall  see 
the  Lord,"  while  it  is  stated  in  1  Thess.  4:3  that  the  will  of  God 
is:  our  sanctification.  And  no  wonder,  since  God  chose  and 
saved  his  people  to  become  holy  as  He  is  holy,  and  our  Lord 
even  placed  the  ideal  before  us  to  become  perfect  as  our  heav- 
enly Father,  Matt.  5:  48.  A  holy  God  can  demand  nothing  less 
from  those  who  are  adopted  into  his  family. 

God  grant  us  to  die  daily  to  sin  and  to  live  unto  God  in 
newness  of  life! 

^Vbile  there  are  degrees  in  sanctification,  so  that  there  is 
difference  between  sheep  and  between  lambs  in  this  regard, 
Isa.  40: 11;  61: 1-3,  between  the  weak  and  the  strong,  Rom.  14:1, 
between  children  in  grace  and  adults,  1  Cor.  3:2;  between 
young  men  and  fathers,  1  John  2: 12-14;  and  while  the  sur- 
roundings of  some  are  much  less  favorable  than  those  of 
others  in  regard  to  an  advance  in  the  process  of  sanctification, 
yet  we  must  all  come  to  engage  in  this  striving  after  renewal 
in  the  image  of  Christ,  which  marks  the  genuine  followers  of 
the  Lamb,  the  true  soldiers  of  Jesus,  who  shall  obtain  the 
crown  of  life  only  in  the  way  of  honorable  striving  afier 
holiness.  By  their  "fruit"  they  must  be  known.  Matt.  12:33; 
7:  21;  Rom.  10:5. 

(An  explanation  of  the  Commandments,  mentioned  in 
Ans.  68,  will  be  given  in  the  next  Chapter,  and  Prayer  will  be 
discussed  in  the  closing  Lesson  of  this  book.) 


230  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 


"O  For  a  closer  walk  with  God, 
A  calm  and  heavenly  frame; 
And  light  to  shine  upon  the  road 
That  leads  me  to  the  Lamb!" 

"The  dearest  idol  I  have  known 
Whate'er  that  idol  be, 
Help  me  to  tear  it  from  its  throne 
And  worship  only  Thee!" 

"So  shall  my  walk  be  close  with  God 
Calm  and  serene  my  frame; 
So  faith  and  light  shall  mark  the  road 
That  leads  me  to  the  Lamb." 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  What  is  meant  in  our  days  by  "sanctification"? 

2  What  do  you  understand  by  its  ACTIVE  side? 

3  Who  is  chiefly  the  Author  of  sanctification? 

4  What  do  you  understand  by  PASSIVE  sanctification? 

5  What  enables  believers  to  sanctify  themselves? 

6  Is  it  important  to  hold  to  both  sides  of  sanctification? 

7  Which  people  hold  the  doctrine  of  Perfectionism? 

8  Which  are  the  fundamental  mistakes  of  Perfectionists? 

9  Prove  from  the  Bible  that  no  believer  is  wholly  '  'perfect' '  in  this  life. 

10  Which  people  believe  in  the  possibility  of   "falling  from  grace"? 

11  Why  do  we  maintain  the  "perseverance  of  the  saints"? 

12  Which  means  of  grace  does  the  Lord  employ  to  work  sanctification  In 

the  believers? 

13  Which  is  the  great  secret  of  growth  in  sanctification? 

14  What  use  does  God  make  of  chastisements? 

15  Which  is  the  difference  between  chastisements   and  punishment? 

16  Is  sanctification  a  necessity?     If  so,   why? 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 


THE  LAW  AS  RULE  OF  LIFE. 


In  the  first  part  of  the  Compendium  the  Moral  Law  of  the 
Ten  Commandments  was  discussed  as  a  means  to  teach  us 
how  great  our  sin  and  misery  is.  As  such  the  Law  has  been 
called  a  schoolmaster  or  pedagogue,  to  lead  us  to  Christ.  But 
there  is  also  a  second  use  of  the  Moral  Law.  It  is  to  be  a 
rule  of  life  to  the  christians  to  express  their  gratitude  to  God 
for  their  deliverance  from  sin  through  the  Mediator  to  whom 
their  sense  of  sin  and  misery  led  them.  As  such  it  belongs 
to  the  third  part  of  the  Compendium,  treating  of  christian 
gratitude.  The  Compendium,  how^ever,  does  not  take  up  the 
various  commandments  the  way  the  Heidelberg  Catechism 
does  It.  This  has  been  considered  a  lack,  and  it  is  to  make  up 
for  this  omission  that  we  insert  a  chapter  here  on  the  Law 
as  a  Rule  of  Life  for  christians. 

Conformable  to  the  plan  of  this  book  to  quote  as 
much  as  possible  the  official  standards  of  the  Reformed 
Churches,  we  shall  follow  closely  the  explanation  of  the 
Decalogue,  as  given  in  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  Q.  <)2-115 
taking  the  comandments  in  their  biblical  order,  and  discuss- 
ing such  doctrinal  and  practical  questions  as  may  be  con- 
nected with  them,  such  as  the  Sunday  question,  tithing,  etc. 

1)     The  first  commandment,  "Thou  shall  have  no  other 
gods  before  me,"  is  explained  to  mean: 

"That  I,  as  sincerely  as  I  desire  the  salvation  of  mv  ow^n 
soul,  avoid  and  fiee  from  all  idolatry,  sorcerv,  soothsaying, 
superstition,  invocation  of  saints,  or  any  other  creatures"  and 
learn  rightly  to  know  the  only  true  God;  trust  in  him  alone, 
with  humility  and  patience  submit  to  him;  expect  all  good 
things  from  him  only;  love,  fear,  and  glorifv  him  with  my 
whole  heart;  so  that  I  renounce  and  forsake  all  creatures 
rather  than  commit  even  the  least  thing  contrary  to  his  will  "' 

1  Cor.  6:9,  10;  Lev.  18:  21;  Matt.  4:10;  John  17:3;  Jer.  17-  5  7- 
Heb.  10:36;  1  Peter  5:5,  6;  Ps.  104:27  '    ' 


232  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

This  explanation  brings  out  that  our  fathers  accepted  cer- 
tain Rules  in  interpreting  the  Moral  Law,  which  we  should 
also  bear  in  mind  as  the  various  Commandments  are  re- 
viewed. 

The  first  rule  is  that  a  negative  command,  as  the  first  one, 
telling  what  not  to  do,  viz.  commit  idolatry,  implies  a  positive 
command,  viz.  to  know,  to  trust  and  to  serve  the  true  God 
above  everything  else.  The  reverse  is  also  true,  as  we  find 
in  the  fifth  command,  which  is  positive,  but  forbids  all  that  is 
contrary  to  it. 

The  second  rule  is  that  under  one  sin  forbidden  all  sins 
of  the  same  nature  are  prohibited,  and  reversely,  under  one 
duty  enjoined,  all  duties  of  a  similar  nature  are  commanded. 
And  not  only  these  sins  or  duties  are  involved,  but  all  the 
causes,  means,  occasions,  and  appearances  thereof,  and  the 
provocations  thereunto. 

The  third  rule  is  that  the  Law  is  to  be  considered  spir- 
itual, in  the  sense  that  it  is  intended  to  regulate  the  thoughts 
and  affections  of  the  soul,  as  well  as  the  outward  conduct. 
Rom.  7: 14.  Jesus  brought  this  out  plainly  in  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount.     (Matt.  5  ff.) 

2)  The  second  Command  is:  "Thou  shall  not  make  any 
graven  image,  nor  the  likeness  of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven 
above,  or  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  in  the  water  under  the 
earth.  Thou  shall  not  bow  down  thyself  to  them,  nor  serve 
them;  for  I,  the  Lord  thy  God,  am  a  jealous  God,  visiting  the 
iniquity  of  the  fathers  upon  the  children,  unto  the  third  and 
fourth  generation  of  them  that  hate  me,  and  showing  mercy 
unto  thousands  of  them  that  love  me,  and  keep  my  command- 
ments."    Deut.  4:15;  Isa.  40:18. 

The  difference  between  this  second  command  and  the 
first  is  briefly  this,  that  while  the  first  one  forbids  idolatry 
and  polytheism,  the  second  one  lays  down  the  regulative 
principle  of  worship:  wc  may  serve  God  only  in  the  way  he 
has  commanded  us.  It  is  opposed  to  all  self-chosen  methods 
of  serving  our  God.  The  Heidelberg  Catechism  informs  us 
that  what  God  requires  in  the  second  command  is  "that  we  in 
no  wise  represent  God  by  images,  nor  worship  him  in  any 
other  way  than  he  has  commanded  in  his  Word."  This  an- 
swer brings  out  the  Calvinistic  or  Puritan  view  enunciated  by 


THE  LAW  AS  RULE  OF  LIFE  233 


Calvin,  Knox  and  other  Reformers  Ihat  we  must  have  divine 
warrant  for  our  modes  of  worship.  We  are  to  serve  God  only 
in  the  way  he  has  positively  commanded  us.  The  view  of 
the  Lutherans  and  Episcopalians  is  that  any  mode  of  worship 
not  forbidden  in  the  Bible  is  lawful.  This  explains  the 
soberness  in  the  arrangements  of  the  churches  and  in  the 
ceremonies  of  the  Reformed,  compared  to  those  of  the  Luth- 
erans and  others.  We  base  this  Calvinistic  view  of  the  mat- 
ter on  Deut.  12:32,  where  God  expressly  forbids  adding  to  or 
taking  from  his  enactments  as  to  worship.  The  punishment 
meted  out  to  Nadab  and  Abihu,  Lev.  10: 1-3;  to  Uzza,  1  Chron. 
13:7-10;  to  Saul,  1  Sam.  13:5-14;  and  to  Uzziah,  2  Chron.  26: 
16-21,  exemplifies  this,  as  well  as  the  charge  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment against  Jeroboam  in  his  daring  to  change  the  date  of  the 
observance  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  1  Kings  12:32,  33. 
It  may  be  added  that  this  rigorous  view  keeps  us  from  all 
sorts  of  innovations  in  our  worship,  with  all  their  deplorable 
results,  as  seen  in  the  history  of  other  churches. 

Of  course,  the  exercise  and  cultivation  of  the  art  of  sculp- 
tors, founders  and  painters  is  not  forbidden  by  the  second 
command,  but  it  does  prohibit  all  attempts  to  represent  the 
Persons  of  the  Godhead  in  figures  and  colors.  The  Catechism 
even  condemns  the  use  of  images,  "as  books  for  the  laity," 
(the  excuse  of  the  Church  of  Rome  for  using  pictures  and 
statues  in  their  churches),  "for  we  must  not  pretend  to  be 
wiser  than  God  who  will  have  his  people  taught,  not  by  dumb 
images,  but  by  the  lively  preaching  of  his  W^ord." 

3)  The  third  command  prescribes  the  proper  spirit  of 
worship,  forbidding  profanity:  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the 
name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain;  for  the  Lord  will  not  hold 
him  guiltless  that  taketh  his  name  in  vain."  The  Catechism 
states  it  requires:  "That  we,  not  only  by  cursing  or  perjury, 
but  also  by  rash  swearing,  must  not  profane  or  abuse  the 
name  of  God;  nor  by  silence  or  connivance  be  partakers  of 
these  horrible  sins  in  others:  and,  briefly,  that  we  use  the 
holy  name  of  God  no  otherwise  than  with  fear  and  reverence; 
so  that  he  may  be  rightly  confessed  and  worshipped  bv  us[ 
and  be  glorified  in  all  our  words  and  works."  Lev  24- 11- 
19:12;  Matt.  5:37;  Is.  45:23,  24;  Matt.  10:32.  "      ' 

It  further   states   that   the  profaning   of   God's   name  by 


234  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

swearing  and  cursing  is  so  heinous  a  sin  that  his  wrath  is 
liindled  against  all  those  who  do  not  endeavor  as  much  as 
in  them  lies,  to  prevent  and  forbid  such  cursing  and  swear- 
ing, "for  there  is  no  sin  greater,  or  more  provoking  to  God, 
than  the  profaning  of  his  name;  and  therefore  he  has  com- 
manded this  sin  to  be  punished  with  death."  Lev.  5:1; 
Lev.  24:15. 

Over  against  Anabaptists  and  Quakers,  however,  we  hold 
that  this  third  command  does  not  forbid  swearing  religiously 
by  the  name  of  God,  "either  when  the  magistrates  demand 
it  of  the  subjects;  or  when  necessity  requires  us  thereby  to 
confirm  fidelity  and  truth  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  safety 
of  our  neighbor:  for  such  an  oath  is  founded  on  God's  Word, 
and  therefore  was  justly  used  by  the  saints,  both  in  the  Old 
and  New  Testament."  Ex.  22:11;  Neh.  13:25;  Deut.  6:13; 
Heb.  6:16;  Gen.  21:24;  Jos.  9:15,  19;  1  Sam.  24:22;  2  Cor. 
1:23;  Rom.  1:9. 

Naturally,  swearing  by  saints  or  any  other  creatures  is 
also  held  to  be  prohibited,  "for  a  lawful  oath  is  calling  upon 
God  as  the  only  one  who  knows  the  heart,  that  he  will  bear 
witness  to  the  truth  and  punish  me  if  I  swear  falsely,  which 
honor  is  due  to  no  creature."    II  Cor.  1:23;  Matt.  5:  34,  35. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  this  command  is  directly  con- 
trary to  a  great  deal  in  our  American  civil  life  which  need- 
lessly demands  oaths  at  various  occasions,  and,  moreover, 
has  them  exacted  by  men  who  in  no  way  are  the  lawful 
"magistrates"  appointed  by  God.     Rom.  13:1. 

Herein  lies  one  of  the  main  reasons  for  opposing  so-called 
"Secret  Societies." 

The  irreverent,  hasty,  indistinct  mumbling  of  oaths  in  our 
courts  is  also  condemned  by  this  commandment.  Moreover, 
it  forbids  unmeaning,  needless  repetitions  in  divine  worship, 
or  using  Scripture  or  sacred  things  for  the  purpose  of  merri- 
ment, as  such  abuse  is  found  sometimes  even  in  christian 
circles. 

Heedlessness  or  irreverence  when  God's  Word  is 
preached,  read  or  sung,  is  also  condemned  by  the  third  com- 
mandment.   Alas,  that  we  so  often  forget  this! 

4)  The  fourth  commandment  contains  God's  appoint- 
ment  about   special   time    of   worship,    and    enjoins   the    ob- 


THE  LAW  AS  RULE  OF  LIFE  235 

servance  of  stated  seasons  of  worship:  "Remember  the  Sab- 
bath day,  to  keep  it  holy;  six  days  shall  thou  labor  and  do 
all  thy  work;  but  the  seventh  day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord 
thy  God;  in  it  thou  shall  do  no  manner  of  work,  thou,  nor 
thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  thy  man  servant,  nor  thy  maid 
servant,  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  thy  stranger  that  is  within  thy 
gates.  For  in  six  days  the  Lord  made  heaven  and  earth,  the 
sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is,  and  rested  the  seventh  day: 
wherefore  the  Lord  blessed  the  Sabbath  day  and  hallowed  it." 
The  Heidelberg  Catechism  explains  it  to  recfuire: 

First,  that  the  ministry  of  the  gospel  and  the  schools  be 
maintained;  and  that  I,  especially  on  the  Sabbath,  that  is,  on 
the  day  of  rest,  diligently  frequent  the  church  of  God,  to 
hear  his  word,  to  use  the  sacraments,  publicly  to  call  upon 
the  Lord,  and  contribute  to  the  relief  of  the  poor,  as  be- 
comes a  Christian.  Secondly,  that  all  the  days  of  my  life  I 
cease  from  my  evil  works,  and  yield  myself  to  the  Lord,  to 
work  by  his  Holy  Spirit  in  me:  and  thus  begin  in  this  life 
the  eternal  Sabbath."  Deut.  12:19;  1  Cor.  9:11;  2  Tim.  2:2, 
and  1  Tim.  3: 15;  Lev.  23:  3;  Acts  2:  42,  46;  1  Cor.  14: 19,  29,  31; 
1  Cor.  11:33;  1  Tim.  2:1;  1  Cor.  16:2;  Isa.  66:23. 

The  great  truths  underlying  this  commandment  are  that 
our  Creator  allots  us  our  time  in  this  world,  that  it  belongs 
to  him,  and  that  he  has  the  right  to  dictate  how  we  shall 
spend  it:  in  six  days  of  honorable  labor,  reserving  the 
seventh  part  of  the  week  for  his  special,  stated  worshijx  We 
are  to  spend  this  seventh  part  not  merely  in  resting  from  our 
customary  secular  pursuits,  but  spend  it  in  holy  resting,  such 
as  the  Lord  did  when  he  had  finished  the  work  of  creation, 
1.  e.,  not  ceasing  all  activity,  for  the  "Father  worketh  hither- 
to," John  5:17,  but  in  delighting  himself  in  his  handiwork. 
The  Sabbath  command  includes  employment  of  our  time  in 
sacred  thoughts  and  exorcises,  and  in  public  as  well  as  in 
private  worship.  Is.  58:  13,  14.  Prayer,  sacred  song,  the 
hearing  of  God's  \Yord,  and  reading  of  it,  as  well  as  the  obser- 
vance of  the  sacraments,  belong  to  proper  obedience  ren- 
dered to  this  command.  Meditation  on  the  Scriptures  and 
reading  books  of  a  religious  nature,  and  conversation  about 
things  divine,  together  with  family  instruction,  are  included. 
The  only  exception  to  this  are:  works  of  necessity,  and  works 
of  mercy.  The  former  include  such  things  which  cannot  be 
omitted  without  doing  violence  to  God's  law:  such  as  caring 


236  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

for  our  caltle,  the  preparation  of  the  necessary  food,  the 
travel  necessary  for  attendance  on  public  worship,  and  pro- 
visions concerning  the  cold  or  the  heat,  or  darkness. 

The  latter,  works  of  mercy,  comprise  caring  for  the  sick, 
lending  aid  to  the  distressed,  and  all  labor  necessary  to  bring 
and  break  the  bread  of  life  to  the  perishing. 

But  these  exceptions  do  not  include  worldly  or  idle  con- 
versation, reading  secular  papers  or  books,  attending  parties, 
writing  letters  of  a  worldly  nature,  or  walking  or  riding  for 
mere  pleasure.    Lev.  23:  3;  Neh.  13: 15;  Is.  58: 13,  14. 

May  we  also  bear  in  mind,  throughout  each  week,  the 
beautiful  closing  words  of  our  Catechism  in  its  explanation 
of  the  fourth  command:  "That  all  the  days  of  my  life  I  cease 
from  my  evil  works,  and  yield  myself  to  the  Lord,  to  work 
by  his  Holy  Spirit  in  me:  and  thus  begin  in  this  life  the 
eternal  Sabbath."    Is.  66:  23. 

With  Seventh  Day  Adventists  and  Seventh  Day  Baptists, 
often  called  "Sabbatarians,"  all  the  other  Churches  of  Chris- 
tendom differ  as  to  the  day  to  be  observed  as  our  Christian 
day  of  rest,  viz.,  Saturday,  the  seventh  day  of  the  week,  or 
Sunday,  the  first  day.  Sabbatarians  claim  that  our  day  of 
rest  is  the  Jewish  day,  Saturday.  Many  of  them  celebrate 
the  day  in  true  Jewish  style  from  sunset  Friday  till  sunset 
Saturday.  They  appeal  for  their  way  of  doing  to  the  letter 
of  the  fourth  command  as  well  as  to  various  other  texts  of 
the  Old  Testament. 

Have  we  and  the  other  Churches,  throughout  the  world, 
the  right  to  depart  from  the  letter  of  the  Law  in  this  regard? 
And  if  so,  on  what  grounds? 

The  following  are  the  main  arguments: 

a)  In  the  Sabbath  command  we  must  distinguish  be- 
tween the  moral  part  and  the  ceremonial  part.  The  moral 
part  is  that  one-seventh  portion  of  our  weeks  must  be  de- 
voted to  sacred  duties.  This  part  is  abiding.  It  dates  from 
the  creation.  Therefore  the  command  is  introduced  b>  :  "Re- 
member." But  the  ceremonial  part  is  that  the  seventh  day 
and  no  other  of  the  weekdays,  should  be  devoted  to  this  pur- 
pose. This  was  ceremonial,  since  it  symbolized  the  char- 
acter of  the  0.  T.  dispensation,  a  legal  character.  One  was 
first  to  work  diligently,  and  then,  and  then  only,  to  rest.     It 


THE  LAW  AS  RULE  OF  LIFE  237 

was  a  reflection  as  it  were  of  the  Covenant  of  Works.  But 
this  ceremonial  feature  passed  away  when  our  Lord  ushered 
in  the  N.  T.  dispensation  with  its  more  gracious  character. 
Now  we  are  to  rest  at  Jesus'  feet  first  of  all  and  then  serve 
him  in  a  life  of  gratitude.  This  feature  is  symbolized  by  our 
keeping  of  Sabbath  on  the  first  day  .of  the  week. 

b)  The  O.  T.  Sabbath  commemorated  the  creation  of  the 
material  universe  by  the  Father.  But  since  then  the  Son  has 
begun  his  no  less  stupendous  work  of  a  new  spiritual  crea- 
tion, and  since  he  rose  on  Easter  Sunday  to  begin  this  in 
the  full  sense,  the  Christian  Church  commemorates  this 
second  creation  in  the  days  of  the  New  Testament. 

c)  The  0.  T.  Sabbath  commemorated  deliverance  from 
Egypt,  and  its  bondage.  The  christian  day  of  rest  proclaims: 
Christ  rose  on  Sunday  to  deliver  us  from  greater  bondage  than 
the  land  of  the  Pharaohs  ever  brought. 

d)  In  Coll.  2: 16,  17  the  sabbathdays  are  called  a  "shadow 
of  things  to  come,"  "but  the  body  is  of  Christ."  As  such  a 
shadow  it  gradually  passed  away  after  Christ  had  come  to 
fulfill  the  law  and  all  the  types.    Therefore  Paul  says:    "Let 

no  man  therefore  judge  you  ....  in  respect of  the 

sabbath  days."  The  Sunday,  hallowed  by  the  resurrection  of 
Christ,  was  to  take  its  place. 

e)  The  change  had  been  foretold.  Ps.  118:24,  after 
speaking  of  the  stone  rejected  by  the  builders,  but  having 
become  the  chief  corner-stone  at  the  resurrection  (on  Sun- 
day), tells  us:  "This  is  the  day  which  the  Lord  hath  made;  we 
will  rejoice  and  be  glad  in  it,"  even  as  Ez.  43:  27  foretold  that 
the  law  of  the  New  Dispensation  should  require  religious  ser- 
vices upon  the  eighth  day  and  so  forward:  "And  when  they 
have  accomplished  the  days,  it  shall  be  that  upon  the  eighth 
day,  and  forward,  the  priests  shall  make  >  our  burnt  offerings 
upon  the  altar,  and  your  peace  offerings;  and  I  will  accept 
you,  saith  the  Lord  God." 

f)  The  change  was  made  because  the  Savior  arose  on 
Sunday,  and  repeatedly  met  with  his  disciples  on  Sunday,  an 
example  followed  by  the  Church  from  its  earliest  period,  as 
we  learn  from  Acts  20:7;  Matt.  28:1;  John  20:26,  and  as 
stated  in  the  Epistle  of  Barnabas,  one  of  the  oldest  christian 


238  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

books  after  the  Bible:  "We  keep  the  eighth  day  witli  joy- 
fulness,  the  day  also  in  which  Jesus  arose  from  the  dead." 

g)  Pentecost  Sunday  with  its  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  plainly  showed  that  God  had  changed  the  day  of  grant- 
ing spiritual  favors  and  of  meeting  with  his  people  in  solemn 
concourse,  even  as  we  read  in  Matt.  12:  8  that  the  Son  of  man 
is  Lord  of  the  sabbath  day. 

h)  The  expression  "Lord's  Day,"  which  occurs  in  Hev.  1 : 
10,  seems  to  indicate  some  day  peculiarly  related  to  Christ,  as 
in  the  term  "Lord's  Supper,"  and  fits  no  day  as  well  as  our 
christian  holy  dav. 


The  four  commandments  discussed  hitherto  belong  to  the 
first  table  of  the  Decalogue,  embracing  our  duties  toward  God. 
In  their  structure  they  resemble  that  of  the  Lord's  Prayer: 
things  pertaining  to  the  glory  of  God  occupy  the  foreground. 
Love  to  God  is  their  essence.  The  remaining  six  command- 
ments belong  to  the  second  table  of  the  Law.  They  concern 
our  duties  toward  all  sentient  beings,  particularly  toward 
human  beings:  ourselves  and  others.  By  mentioning  sentient 
beings  we  have  reference  toward  all  created  beings  capable 
of  pleasure  and  pain.  The  Law  of  the  Lord  being  perfect,  not 
alone  comprehends  all  our  moral  relations  and  obligations  to- 
wards ourselves  and  our  fellow-beings  among  humanity,  but 
toward  all  the  world  of  God's  handiwork  related  to  us.  Love 
to  our  neighbor  is  the  essence  of  the  commandments  of  the 
second  table. 

5)  The  fifth  commandment  is:  "Honor  thy  father  and 
thy  mother,  that  thy  days  may  be  long  in  the  land  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee."  The  Heidelberg  Catechism  ex- 
plains it  to  mean:  "That  1  show  all  honor,  love  and  fidelity, 
to  my  father  and  mother,  and  all  in  authority  over  me,  and 
submit  myself  to  their  good  instruction  and  correction,  with 
due  obedience;  and  also  patiently  bear  with  their  weaknesses 
and  infirmities,  since  it  pleases  God  to  govern  us  by  their 
hand."  Eph.  6: 1,  2,  etc.;  Col.  3: 18,  20;  Eph.  5:  22;  Bom.  1:  31; 
Prov.  23:22;  Eph.  6:5,  6;  Col.  3:19,  21;  Rom.  13:1-8;  Matt. 
22:21. 

This  commandment  plainly  forbids,  as  the  Shorter  Cate- 
chism puts  it:    "the  neglecting  of,  or  doing  anything  against, 


THE  LAW  AS   RULE  OF  LIFE  239 

the  honor  and  duty  which  belongeth  to  every  one  in  their  sev- 
eral places  and  relations."  "The  reason  annexed  to  the  fifth 
commandment  is  a  promise  of  long  life  and  prosperity,  as  far 
as  it  shall  serve  for  God's  glory  and  their  own  good,  to  all 
such  as  keep  the  commandment." 

6)  The  sixth  commandment:  "Thou  shall  not  kill,"  re- 
quires, (Cat.,  Q.  105) :  "That  neither  in  thoughts,  nor  words, 
nor  gestures,  much  less  in  deeds,  I  dishonor,  hate,  wound,  or 
kill  my  neighbor,  by  myself  or  by  another;  but  that  I  lay  aside 
all  desire  of  revenge:  also,  that  I  hurt  not  myself,  nor  wilfully 
expose  myself  to  any  danger.  Wherefore  also  the  magistrate 
is  armed  with  the  sword,  to  prevent  murder." 

In  answer  to  the  remark  that  this  commandment  seems  to 
speak  only  of  murder,  the  Catechism  replies:  "In  forbidding 
murder,  God  teaches  us,  that  he  abhors  the  causes  thereof; 
such  as  envy,  hatred,  anger,  and  desire  of  revenge;  and  that  he 
accounts  all  these  as  murder."  James  1:20;  Gal.  5:20;  Rom. 
1:29;  1  John  2:9;  1  John  3:15. 

The  positive  side  of  this  commandment  is  expressed  in 
the  answer  to  Q.  107:  "But  is  it  enough  that  we  do  not  kill  any 
man  in  the  manner  mentioned?"  Answer:  "No;  for  when 
God  forbids  envy,  hatred,  and  anger,  he  commands  us  to  love 
our  neighbor  as  ourselves;  to  show  patience,  peace  and  meek- 
ness, mercy,  and  all  kindness,  towards  him,  and  prevent  his 
hurt  as  much  as  in  us  lies:  and  that  we  do  good,  even  to  our 
enemies."  Matt.  22:  39;  7: 12;  Rom.  12:  10;  Eph.  4:2;  Gal.  6: 1, 
2;  Matt.  5:  5;  Rom.  12: 18;  Ex.  23:  5;  Matt.  5:  45;  Rom.  12:  20. 

7)  The  seventh  commandment:  "Thou  shall  not  commit 
adultery,"  teaches:  "That  all  uncleanness  is  accursed  of  God: 
and  that  therefore  we  must  with  all  our  hearts  detest  the 
same,  and  live  chastely  and  temperately,  whether  in  holy  wed- 
lock, or  in  single  life."  Lev.  18:  27;  Deut.  29:  20-23;  1  Thess.  4: 
3,  4;  Heb.  13:4;  1  Cor.  7:4-9. 

Of  course,  God  does  not  only  forbid  in  this  adultery  and 
such  like  gross  sins,  but:  "Since  both  our  body  and  soul  are 
temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  commands  us  to  preserve  them 
pure  and  holy:  therefore  he  forbids  all  unchaste  actions,  ges- 
tures, words,  thoughts,  desires,  and  whatever  can  entice  men 
thereto."  Eph.  5:  3;  1  Cor.  6:  18;  Matt.  5:  28;  Eph.  5:  18;  1  Cor. 
15:33. 


240  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

The  performances  of  the  theatre,  the  circus  and  the  dance 
hall  are  against  the  spirit  of  this  commandment  of  God. 

8)  The  eighth  commandment:  "thou  shalt  not  steal," 
concerns  itself  with  our  property  or  possessions,  as  the 
seventh  one  had  reference  to  our  body  and  the  sixth  to  our 
life.  God  is  the  absolute  owner  of  all  things.  Ps.  24: 1;  Hag. 
2:9.  In  that  sense  we  are  only  stewards.  It  is  upon  this  prin- 
ciple that  our  duty  of  giving  tithes,  or  a  tenth  of  our  income 
to  the  Kingdom  is  based.  Tithing  acknowledges  God  as  our 
Lord  and  Master,  as  the  renter  of  houses  or  lands  asknowl- 
edges  the  rights  of  the  earthly  owner  by  paying  him  his  dues. 
Therefore  we  find  it  practised  from  the  earliest  times  by 
Abram,  (Gen.  14:  20,  compared  with  Heb.  7:  2-6);  promised  by 
Jacob,  Gen.  28:22;  required  of  Israel,  Lev.  27:30-33;  and  ap- 
proved by  Christ,  Matt.  23:23.  Malachi  called  the  withhold- 
ing of  the  tithe  a  robbing  of  God.     (3:  8.) 

But  while  we  maintain  that  God  is  the  absolute  owner  of 
all,  and  that  we,  in  regard  to  him  are  only  stewards,  with 
reference  to  men  there  is  real  proprietorship.  Deut.  32:8; 
Acts  17:26;  Prov.  22:2. 

This  we  assert  against  anarchists  and  others,  who  claim 
that  private  ownership  is  theft. 

The  Catechism  states  that  in  this  eighth  commandment 
"Gor  forbids  not  only  those  thefts,  and  robberies,  which  are 
punishable  by  the  magistrate;  but  he  comprehends  under  the 
name  of  theft  all  wicked  tricks  and  devices,  whereby  we  de- 
sign to  appropriate  to  ourselves  the  goods  which  belong  to  our 
neighbor:  whether  it  be  by  force,  or  under  the  appearance  of 
right,  as  by  unjust  weights,  ells,  measures,  fraudulent  mer- 
chandise, false  coins,  usury,  or  by  any  other  way  forbidden  by 
God;  as  also  all  covetousness,  all  abuse  and  waste  of  his  gifts." 
1  Cor.  6: 10;  1  Cor.  5:  10;  Luke  3:  14;  Prov.  11:  1;  Ezek.  45:  9, 
10,  11;  Ps.  15:5;  Luke  6:35. 

Of  course  gambling  in  all  its  forms  is  also  forbidden 
here. 

The  positive  side  of  the  commandment  is  expressed  thus: 
"That  I  promote  the  advantage  of  my  neighbor  in  every  in- 
stance I  can  or  may;  and  deal  with  him  as  I  desire  to  be  dealt 
with  by  others:  further  also  that  I  faithfully  labor,  so  that  I 
may  be  able  to  relieve  the  needy."  Matt.  7:12;  Prov.  5:16; 
Eph.  4:28. 


THE  LAW  AS  RULE  OF  LIFE  241 

9)  The  ninth  commandment:  "thou  shall  not  hear  false 
witness  against  thy  neighhor,"  reciuiies:  "That  I  bear  false 
witness  against  no  man,  nor  falsify  any  man's  words;  that  1 
be  no  backbiter,  nor  slanderer;  that  I  do  not  judge,  nor  join  in 
condemning  any  man  rashly,  or  unheard;  but  that  I  avoid  all 
sorts  of  lies  and  deceit,  as  the  proper  works  of  the  devil,  un- 
less I  would  bring  down  upon  me  the  heavy  wrath  of  God: 
likewise,  that  in  judgment  and  all  other  dealings  I  love  the 
truth,  speak  it  uprightly  and  confess  it;  also  that  I  defend  and 
promote,  as  much  as  I  amable,  the  honor  and  good  character 
of  my  neighbor."  Prov.  19:  5,  9;  21:  28;  Ps.  15:  3;  Rom.  1 :  29, 
30;  Matt.  7:1,  etc.;  Luke  6:37;  Lev.  19:11;  Prov.  12:22;  13:5; 
1  Cor.  13:6;  Eph.  4:25;  1  Peter  4:8. 

This  commandment  goes  still  farther  than  the  sixth, 
seventh  and  eighth  which  primarily  covered  our  actions,  since 
it  embraces  our  sinful  thoughts  and  words  as  well. 

10)  But  deeper  than  all  the  preceding  parts  of  the  second 
table  goes  the  tenth  commandment  which  concerns  itself 
principally  with  our  heart.  In  fact  it  does  not  mention  a  new 
class  of  sins,  but  points  out  the  evil  root  of  all  transgressions. 
It  reads  thus:  "Thou  shall  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  house; 
thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  wife,  nor  his  man-servant, 
nor  his  maid-servant,  nor  his  ox,  nor  his  ass,  nor  anything 
that  is  thy  neighbor's." 

It  is  not  simph  one  of  the  commandments  but  the  expli- 
cation of  them  all,  indicating  that  the  Decalogue  must  be 
taken  in  a  deep  spiritual  sense.  The  Heidelberg  Catechism 
explains  it  to  require:  "That  even  the  smallest  inclination  or 
thought,  contrary  to  any  of  God's  commands,  never  rise  in 
our  hearts;  but  that  at  all  times  we  hate  all  sin  with  our 
whole  heart,  and  delight  in  all  righteousness."    Rom.  7:7. 

The  Shorter  Catechism,  somewhat  more  fully,  tells  us  it 
requires:  "full  contentment  with  our  own  condition,  with 
a  right  and  charitable  frame  of  spirit  toward  our  neighbor 
and  all  that  is  his,"  while  it  forbids:  "all  discontentment  with 
our  own  estate,  envying  or  grieving  at  the  good  of  our  neigh- 
bor, and  all  inordinate  motions  or  affections  to  anything  that 
is  his." 

This  closing  commandment  should  lead  us  to  pray :  "create 
in  me  a  clean  heart,  o  God;  and  renew  a  right  spirit  within 


242  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

me."  Ps.  51 :  10.  The  entire  Decalogue  shows  the  truth  of 
Ps.  119:96:  "Thy  commandment  is  exceeding  broad."  May 
this  fact  deeply  humble  us  before  God,  so  that  we  despair  of 
going  about  to  establish  a  righteousness  of  our  own,  since  at- 
tempts to  keep  the  Law  and  obtain  eternal  life  by  good  works 
will  certainly  end  in  dismal  failure. 

But  if  we  are  christians,  saved  by  grace,  in  the  way  of 
repentance  and  faith,  may  God  teach  and  enable  us  daily  to 
show  our  gratitude  to  God  for  our  deliverance,  so  that  we, 
"With  a  sincere  resolution  begin  to  live  not  only  according 
to  some,  but  according  to  all  the  commandments  of  God." 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Which  is  the  difference  in  the  use  made  of  the  Decalogue  in  the  first 

part  of  the  Compendium  and  in  the  third? 

2  What  is  required  of  us  in  the  first  commandment? 

3  Which  RULES  for  explaining  the  Decalogue  are  suggested  by  the  way 

the  Heidelberg  Catechism  expounds  the  first  commandment? 

4  What  is  contained  in  the  second  command? 

5  Which  principle   as  to   our  MODE    OF   WORSHIP   is   embodied   in   the 

second  commandment? 

6  What  is  covered  by  the  third  commandment? 

7  Does  the  third  commandment  forbid  all  swearing?     If  not,  why  not? 

8  What  does  this  third  commandment  condemn  in  much  of  our  daily  life 

in  America? 

9  What  does  the  fourth  commandment  cover? 

10  What  is  meant  by  works  of  necessity? 

11  What  is  meant  by  works  of  mercy? 

12  On  which  grounds   do   we   consider  the   Sunday  to   be   the   day  of  rest 

in  the  N.  T.? 

13  What  is  the   difference  between  the  first  and  the   second  table   of  the 

commandments  ? 

14  What  does  the  fifth  commandment  contain? 

15  What  is  covered  by  the  sixth  commandment? 

16  State  the  chief  contents  of  the  seventh  commandment. 

17  What  is  covered  by  the  eighth  commandment? 

18  What  can  you  say  about  the  subject  of  tithing? 

19  What  are  the  main  contents  of  the  ninth  commandment? 

20  State  the  meaning  of  the  tenth  commandment. 

21  What  should  be  our  prayer  and  endeavor  concerning  all  the  command- 

ments of  the  Decalogue? 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 


PRAYER  IN  GENERAL,  AND  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


Q.  70.      To  whom  must  we  pray  for  this? 

A.  Not  to  any  creature,  but  to  God  alone,  who  can  help  us,  and 

will  hear  us  for  Jesus  Christ's  sake. 

Q.  71.     In  whose  name  must  wo  pray  to  God? 

A.  Only  in  the  name  of  Christ,  John  16:  23,  and  not  in  the  name 

of  any  saints. 

Q.  72.     What  must  we  pray  to  God  for? 

A.  For  all  things  necessary  for  soul  and  body,  which  Christ  our 

Lord  has  comprised  in  that  prayer,  he  himself  has 
taught  us. 

Q.  73.     What  are  the  words  of  that  prayer? 

A.  Our  Father  whicn  art  in  heaven,  hallowed  be  thy  name.     Thy 

kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  on  earth,  as  it  is  in 
heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive 
us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our  debtors;  and  lead  us  not 
into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil.  For  thine  is  the 
kingdom,  and  the  power,  and  the  glory,  forever.     Amen. 

Q.  74.     What  do  you  desire  of  God  in  this  prayer? 

A.  1)    That  all  things  which  tend  to  the   glory  of  God,   may  be 

promoted,  and  whatsoever  is  repugnant  thereto,  or  cqn- 
trary  to  his  will,  may  be  prevented.  2)  That  he  may 
provide  me  with  all  things  necessary  for  the  body,  and  as 
to  my  soul,  preserve  me  from  all  evil,  which  might  in  any 
wise  be  detrimental  to  my  salvation.     Amen. 

Closely  connected  with  our  faith,  as  expressed  in  the 
second  part  of  the  Compendium,  and  the  commandments  of 
God,  just  discussed,  is  prayer.  We  shall  discuss:  (1)  its  im- 
portance; (2)  its  essence  and  elements;  (3)  to  whom  to  be  ad- 
dressed; (4)  its  requisites;  (5)  time  and  place  of  prayer; 
(6)  for  whom  to  pray;  (7)  explanation  of  the  Lord's  Prayer. 

1)  The  Importance  of  Prayer.  In  the  Law,  God  speaks 
to  us.  In  prayer  we  address  him.  Our  faith  makes  us  love 
God  and  his  commandments.  Prayer  leads  us  to  the  Throne 
of  grace  to  obtain  strength  to  show  that  love  in  a  life  of  grati- 
tude. The  importance  of  prayer  is  therefore  very  great.  In 
the  Heidelberg  Catechism  it  is  called  the  chief  part  of  thank- 
fulness which  God  requires  of  us,  and  we  are  told  that  "God 


244  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

will  give  his  grace  and  Holy  Spirit  to  those  only  who  with 
sincere  desires  continually  ask  them  of  him,  and  are  thank- 
ful for  them,"  (Q.  116.)  Because  of  this  importance  and  ne- 
cessity of  prayer  it  has  been  called  a  Means  of  Grace,  (Chap- 
ter XX.).  This  name  is  indeed  suitable  since  God  has  ap- 
pointed it  as  a  means  to  procure  blessings  from  him,  Jas.  1:5; 
Phil.  4:6,  7;  Luke  11:9-13.  Prayer  has  been  called  "ap- 
pointed links  in  the  plan  of  God,"  and  truly  so.  Moreover,  the 
very  exercise  of  praying  holds  us  in  converse  with  God  and 
calls  various  holy  affections  into  operation. 

2)  The  essence  and  elements  of  prayer  may  be  described 
as  "the  offering  of  reverent  petitions  to  God,  accompanied 
with  thanksgiving,  confession  and  adoration."  The  posture 
of  the  body  should  be  in  harmony  with  this.  The  Bible  gives 
us  examples  of  kneeling,  (2  Chron.  6: 13;  Ps.  95:6);  of  stand- 
ing, (Luke  18: 11,  13);  of  prostration,  (Luke  5:8,  12);  of  bow- 
ing, (Gen.  24:26).  The  closing  of  the  eyes,  as  if  to  shut  out 
the  world,  and  the  folding  of  the  hands  as  a  symbol  of  our 
helplessness,  are  in  keeping  with  the  sacred  nature  of  peti- 
tioning the  Most  High. 

3)  Whom  must  we  address  in  prayers?  The  Compen- 
dium mentions  God,  and  God  only  as  the  proper  One  to  whom 
our  spiritual  homage  is  to  be  addressed.  Matt.  4: 10;  Rev.  22:  9. 

Essentially  viewed  we  pray  to  all  the  Persons  of  the 
Holy  Trinity,  for  the  three  are  one  in  essence.  But  most  of 
the  Bible  prayers  are  evidently  addressed  to  the  Father  as 
the  first  Person  of  the  Holy  Trinity  and  its  representative, 
although  we  also  find  prayers  to  the  Son  recorded  in  Holy 
Writ.  Acts  7:59,60;  2  Cor.  12:8,  9;  Eph.  1: 17;  3: 14.  There  is 
no  clear  example  in  the  Bible  of  prayer  to  the  Holy  Spirit 
personally,  but  the  benedictions  of  2  Cor.  13:14  and  Rev.  1: 
4,  5,  mention  him. 

The  reason  that  no  direct  pra>ers  to  the  Holy  Spirit  are 
recorded  in  the  Bible  has  been  sought  in  the  fact  that  in  the 
divine  economy  the  Holy  Spirit  carries  into  effect  the  will  of 
the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  as  such  acts  as  the  means  to 
have  our  prayers  offered  and  answered,  but  not  as  their 
object.  Of  course,  spiritual  homage  and  praise  may  be  di- 
rectly and  personally  rendered  to  the  Holy  Ghost.  Matt.  2S: 
20;  2  Cor.  13:14. 


PRAYER  IN  GENERAL,  AND  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER  245 

Acceptable  prayer  must  be  offered  in  the  Name  of  Christ, 
our  Mediator.  We  are  commanded  this  in  John  16:  23  and  in 
other  places.  Eph  2: 18;  Rev.  8:  3,  4;  1  Tim.  2:5.  Praying  in 
Jesus'  name  means  that  we  offer  our  petitions  and  request  the 
granting  thereof  in  consideration  or  on  account  of  the  atoning 
work  of  the  Savior.  Implicitly  this  was  done  even  by  the 
true  believers  of  the  O.  T.,  for  from  the  date  of  the  first  an- 
nouncement of  a  Deliverer  the  minds  of  the  faithful  were 
turned  in  hope  to  the  Coming  One.  John  8:56:  "Your  father 
Abraham  rejoiced  to  see  my  day:  and  he  saw  it  and  was  glad." 
The  sacrificial  system  of  the  O.  T.  of  course  encouraged  this 
expectation.  Gal.  3:8;  Heb.  11:13. 

4)  The  requisites  of  true  prayer  are  sincerity,  reverence, 
importunity,  submission  and  faith. 

This  sincerity  is  mentioned  in  Ps.  17:  1:  "Hear  the  right, 
o  LORD,  attend  unto  my  cry,  give  ear  unto  my  prayer  that 
goeth  not  out  of  feigned  lips." 

That  reverence  is  one  of  its  requisites  is  plain  from  the 
fact  that  the  Being  addressed  is  worthy  of  reverence.  Rev. 
15:  4:  "Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  o  Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name, 
for  thou  art  holy." 

Importunity  is  exemplified  by  the  parable  of  the  im- 
portunate widow,  Luke  18:3-5,  while  submission  is  suggested 
by  our  Lord's  example  in  Gethsemane.  Luke  22:42. 

That  faith  is  likewise  a  requisite  is  plain  from  Matt.  21: 
22,  "And  all  things,  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  prayer,  be- 
lieving, ye  shall  receive." 

Of  ourselves  we  are  unable  to  meet  these  require- 
ments, but  Christians  have  an  invaluable  aid  in  prayer  in  the 
Holy  Spirit,  who  prays  with  them  and  for  them.  Rom.  8: 
26:  "For  we  know  not  how  to  pray  as  we  ought;  but  the 
Spirit  himself  maketh  intercession  for  us." 

The  Holy  Spirit  aids  in  prayer,  by  prompting  us  to  pray, 
and  by  directing  us  in  prayer.  He  graciously  intercedes  for  us, 
on  earth,  by  giving  us  a  sense  of  our  need,  exciting  in  us  suit- 
able desires,  and  producing  in  us  faith  whereby  we  lay  hold 
of  Christ  and  plead  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  promises  which 
are  yea  and  amen  in  Christ.  Rom.  8:26,  27;  Jude:20;  Zech. 
12:10.    Let  us   appreciate  this,  even   as  it  belongs    to    the 


246  THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 

promises  of  the  Covenant  of  Grace  that  "He  will  dwell  in  us, 
and  sanctify  us  to  be  members  of  Christ." 

While  unconverted  persons  are  not  able  to  pray  accept- 
ably, it  is  nevertheless  their  duty  to  pray,  as  shown  by  Is.  55: 
6,  Joel  1: 14,  Ps.  14:  4,  Jer.  10:  25.  While  the  Bible  informs  us 
that  the  prayer  of  the  wicked,  i.e.  the  openly  and  purposely 
wicked,  is  an  abomination  to  the  Lord,  Prov.  28:9,  prayerless- 
ness  is  a  still  greater  abomination,  Jer.  10:25.  Those  who 
name  the  name  of  Christ  must  depart  from  iniquity,  2  Tim.  2: 
19,  and  the  sense  of  our  obligation  to  pray  on  the  one  hand, 
and  of  our  inability  to  do  so  on  the  other  hand,  must  lead  us 
to  pray  and  sigh:  "Lord,  teach  us  to  pray!"  Luke  11:2. 
Compare  1  Cor.  14: 15. 

5)  When  and  where  are  we  to  pray?  Throughout  our 
life,  and  wherever  we  be,  but  especially  at  stated  times,  in 
our  closet,  at  family  worship,  and  in  the  house  of  God.  The 
0.  T.  saints  prayed  three  times  each  day  in  a  special  man- 
ner. Dan.  6:10;  Ps.  55:16,  17.  Compare  Acts  10:9,  30.  The 
morning  especially  is  suitable  for  personal  prayers.  Ps.  119: 
146,  147;  Mark  1:35.  Prayers  at  meals  are  suggested  and 
exemplified  by  Matt.  14: 19;  Acts  27:  35;  1  Tim.  4:  4,  5. 

May  God  give  us  grace  to  abound  always  in  ]>rayer. 

"More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 
Than  this  world  dreams  of.    Wherefore  let  thy  voice 
Rise  like  a  fountain,  night  and  day. 
For  what  are  men  better  than  sheep  and  goats, 
That  nourish  a  blind  life  within  the  brain 
If,  knowing  God,  they  lift  not  hands  of  prayer. 
Both  for  themselves  and  those  who  call  them  friend! 
For  so  the  whole  round  world  is  every  way 
Bound  by  gold  chains  about  the  feet  of  God." 

(Tennyson.) 

6)  For  whom  are  we  to  pray?  For  ourselves,  Matt.  6: 
9-13,  and  for  our  fellowmen  of  all  classes,  including  our 
rulers,  1  Tim.  2:2,  for  n_inisters  and  missionaries,  and  all  the 
saints,  Eph.  6:  18,  19,  and  for  our  enemies  as  well  as  for  our 
friends,  Matt.  5:44.  The  Bible  excepts  only  two  classes:  the 
dead  and  those  who  committed  the  unpardonable  sin.  We 
are  not  to  pray  for  the  dead  because  their  state  is  fixed  and 
irreversible.     Prov.  14:32;  Luke  16:26;  Rev.  22:11.     Prayer 


PRAYER  IN  GENERAL,  AND  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER  247 

for  those  guilty  of  the  unpardonable  sin   is  especially  for- 
bidden in  1  John  5:16.     (Compare  on  this  sin  Ch.  V.,  p.  37). 

7)  The  Lord's  Prayer  Explained.  "What  must  we  pray 
to  God  for?"  the  Compendium  asks  in  Q.  72.  And  the  reply 
is:  "For  all  things  necessary  for  body  and  soul,  which  Christ 
our  Lord  has  comprised  in  that  prayer  he  himself  has  taught 
us."  This  prayer  is  usually  called  the  "Lord's  Prayer,"  al- 
though it  would  be  fully  as  appropriate  to  call  it  the  Dis- 
ciples' Prayer,  since  it  was  meant  for  them  and  given  at 
their  request.  Luke  11:2.  The  Lord's  Prayer  in  the  strict 
sense  is  what  we  find  in  John  17.  But  since  centuries  the 
name  "Lord's  Prayer"  has  obtained,  and  properly  so  if  we 
understand  by  it  the  Prayer  which  is  of  the  Lord  in  the  sense 
of  having  been  given  by  him,  for  our  use.  It  is  a  fit  prayer 
for  Christians  and  only  fits  in  their  mouth  with  its  "Our 
Father,"  and  the  willingness  it  expresses  about  forgiving 
others  their  sins.  It  evidently  is  not  meant  for  worldly  per- 
sons, nor  for  mixed  assemblies,  although  alas  it  has  been 
abused  oftentimes  in  this  regard,  so  that  already  Luther  in 
his  time  called  it  "the  greatest  martyr."  It  was  not  given 
as  a  form  to  be  used  without  variation,  but  rather  as  a  model, 
or  guide,  in  formulating  our  own  prayers.  This  is  plain  if 
we  consider  that  the  Bible  itself  gives  two  separate  versions 
of  the  prayer  in  Matt.  6:  9  and  Luke  11:  2-4,  and  in  the  prayers 
recorded  in  the  N.  T.,  as  offered  by  the  followers  of  Jesus 
after  his  ascension,  it  is  not  included.  Moreover,  this  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that  it  omits  closing  with  any  phrase  mentioning 
the  Savior's  Name,  although  Jesus  commanded  us  to  do  so 
in  John  16:23,  24. 

This  prayer  is  sometimes  called  the  "perfect  prayer"  be- 
cause it  comprehends  all  our  real  needs  for  soul  and  body,  in 
life  and  in  death.  All  this  is  expressed  by  or  inferred  in  the 
preface,  the  six  petitions,  and  the  doxology  which  make  up 
the  prayer.  The  Heidelberg  Catechism  gives  their  expla- 
nation in  full  in  Q.  120-129. 

The  meaning  of  the  address:  "Our  Father,"  is  given  in 
these  words:  "That  immediately,  in  the  very  beginning  of  our 
prayer,  he  might  excite  in  us  a  childlike  reverence  for,  and 
confidence  in  God,  which  are  the  foundation  of  our  prayer: 
namely,  that  God  is  become  our  Father  in  Christ,  and  will 


248  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

much  less  deny  us  what  we  ask  of  him  in  true  faith,  than  our 
parents  will  refuse  us  earthly  things."  Matt.  G:9;  Matt.  7:9, 
10,  11;  Luke  11:11;  Isa.  49:15. 

The  reason  for  adding  "who  art  in  heaven"  is  stated  to  be: 
"Lest    we   should   form   an\     earthl>     conceptions    of    God's 
heavenly  majest> ,  and  that  we  ma>   expect  from  his  almighty 
power  all  things  necessary   for  soul   and  body."     Jer.  23:24;, 
Acts  17:24;  Rom.  10:  12. 

The  first  petition,  "hallowed  be  thy  name"  includes: 
"grant  us,  first,  rightly  to  know  thee,  and  to  sanctify,  glorify 
and  praise  thee,  in  all  thy  works,  in  which  thy  power,  wis- 
dom, goodness,  justice,  mercy  and  truth,  are  clearly  dis- 
prayed;  and  further  also,  that  we  may  so  order  and  direct 
our  whole  lives,  our  thoughts,  words  and  actions,  that  thy 
name  may  never  be  blasphemed,  but  rather  honored  and 
praised  on  our  account."  Matt.  6:9;  .lohn  17:3;  Jer.  9:  23,  24; 
Matt.  10:17;  Ps.  119:137,  138;  Luke  1:46;  Ps.  145:8,  9;  Ps.  115: 
1,  and  71:8. 

The  second  petition,  "thy  kingdom  come,"  is  explained  to 
signify:  "rule  us  so  by  thy  word  and  Spirit,  that  we  may  sub- 
mit ourselves  more  and  more  to  thee;  preserve  and  increase 
th>  church;  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil,  and  all  violence 
which  would  exalt  itself  against  thee;  and  also,  all  wicked 
counsels  devised  against  thy  holy  word;  till  the  full  perfec- 
tion of  thy  kingdom  take  place,  wherein  thou  shall  be  all 
in  all."  Ps.  119:5;  Ps.  51:18;  1  John  3:8;  Rom.  16:20;  Rev. 
22:17,  20;  1  Cor.  15:28.  Compare  Chapter  XIIL,  p.  113,  and 
XVI.,  p.  134,  on  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

The  third  petition,  "thy  will  be  done  in  earth  as  it  is  in 
heaven"  involves:  "grant  us  that  we  and  all  men  may  re- 
nounce our  own  will,  and  without  murmuring  obey  thy  will, 
which  is  only  good;  that  so  every  one  may  attend  to,  and  per- 
form the  duties  of  his  station  and  calling,  as  willingly  and 
faithfully  as  the  angels  do  in  heaven."  Matt.  6: 10;  Matt.  16: 
24;  Tit.  2:12;  Luke  22:42;  1  Cor.  7:24;  Eph.  4:1;  Ps.  103:20. 

About  the  Will  of  God,  see  Chapter  IX.,  p.  68. 

The  fourth  petition  is:  "Give  us  this  day  our  daih'  bread," 
that  is,  be  pleased  to  provide  us  with  all  things  necessary  for 
the  body,  that  we  may  thereby  acknowledge  thee  to  be  the 
only  fountain  of  all  good,  and  that  neither  our  care  nor  in- 


PRAYER  IN  GENERAL,  AND  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER  249 

dustry,  nor  even  thy  gifts,  can  profit  us  without  thy  blessing; 
and  therefore  that  we  may  withdraw  our  trust  from  all 
creatures,  and  place  it  alone  in  thee."  Matt.  6: 11;  Ps.  145: 15; 
Matt.  6:25;  Acts  17:25,  and  14:17;  1  Cor.  15:58;  Deut.  8:3; 
Ps.  127: 1,  2;  Ps.  62: 11,  and  55:  22. 

The  fifth  petition,  "And  forgive  us  our  debts  as  we  for- 
give our  debtors,"  includes:  "be  pleased  for  the  sake  of 
Christ's  blood,  not  to  impute  to  us  poor  sinners,  our  trans- 
gressions, nor  that  depravity,  which  always  cleaves  to  us; 
even  as  we  feel  this  evidence  of  thy  grace  in  us,  that  it  is  our 
firm  resolution  from  the  heart  to  forgive  our  neighbor."  Matt. 
6:12;  Ps.  51:1;  1  John  2:1,  2;  Matt.  6:14,  15. 

The  sixth  petition  is:  "and  lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but 
deliver  us  from  evil." 

This  sixth  petition  contains  both  a  positive  and  a  negative 
part,  something  in  which  Roman  Catholics  and  Lutherans 
have  found  a  reason  for  dividing  it  into  two  petitions,  thus 
making  the  total  of  petitions  in  the  Lord's  Prayer  seven  in- 
stead of  six.  The  Reformed,  however,  regard  it  as  one  be- 
cause the  positive  part  and  the  negative  form  one  whole. 
The  Catechism  explains  it  to  signify:  "since  we  are  so  weak 
in  ourselves,  that  we  cannot  stand  a  moment;  and  besides 
this,  since  our  mortal  enemies,  the  devil,  the  world,  and  our 
own  flesh,  cease  not  to  assault  us;  do  thou  therefore  preserve 
and  strengthen  us  by  the  power  of  thy  Holy  Spirit,  that  we 
may  not  be  overcome  in  this  spiritual  warfare,  but  constantly 
and  strenuously  may  resist  our  foes,  till  at  last  we  obtain  a 
complete  victory."  Matt.  6:  13;  Rom.  8:  26;  Ps.  103: 14;  1  Pet. 
5:8;  Eph.  6:12;  John  15:19;  Rom.  7:23;  Gal.  5:17;  Matt.  26: 
41;  Mark  13:33;  1  Thes.  3:13  and  5:  23. 

The  doxology  of  the  Lord's  Prayer:  "For  thine  is  the 
kingdom,  the  power  and  the  glory  forever,"  involves  the  con- 
fession: "all  these  (favors)  we  ask  of  thee  because  thou,  being 
our  king,  and  almighty,  art  willing  and  able  to  give  us  all 
good;  and  all  this  we  pray  for  that  thereby  not  we  but  thy 
holy  name  may  be  glorified  forever,  while  "Amen"  is  said 
to  signify:  "it  shall  truly  and  certainly  be;  for  my  prayer  is 
more  assuredly  heard  of  God  than  I  feel  in  my  heart  that  I 
desire  these  things  of  him."    2  Cor.  1:  20;  2  Tim.  2: 13. 


250  THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 

The    entire    Lord's    Prayer   has   been    beautifulh    para 
phrased  as  follows: 

Our  Father — 

by  right  of  creation 
by  bountiful  provision, 
by  gracious  adoption; 

Which  art  in  heaven — 

the  throne  of  thy  glory, 
the  home  of  thy  children, 
the  temple  of  thy  angels; 

Hallowed  be  thy  name — 

by  the  thoughts  of  our  hearts, 
by  the  words  of  our  lips, 
by  the  work  of  our  hands; 

Thy  kingdom  come — 

of  providence  to  defend  us, 
of  grace  to  refine  us, 
of  glory  to  crown  us; 

Thy  will  be  done,  in  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven — 

towards  us  without  resistance, 
by  us  without  compulsion, 
universally  without  exception, 
eternally  without  declension; 

Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread — 

of  necessity  for  our  bodies, 
of  eternal  life  for  our  souls; 

And  forgive  us  our  tresspasses — 

against  the  commands  of  thy  law, 
against  the  grace  of  thy  gospel; 

As  we  forgive  those  that  trespass  against  us — 
by  defaming  our  character, 
by  embezzling  our  property, 
by  abusing  our  person; 


PRAYER  IN  GENERAL,  AND  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER  251 


And  lead  us  not  into  temptation,  but  deliver  us  from  evil- 

of  overwhelming  afflictions, 
of  worldly  enticements, 
of  Satan's  devices, 
of  error's  seductions, 
of  sinful  affections; 

For  thine  is  the  kingdom,  the  power  and  the  glory  forever- 
*  Tifj  kingdom  governs  all, 
Thy  power  subdues  all. 
Thy  glory  is  above  all; 


Amen — 


as  it  is  in  thy  purpose, 
so  it  is  in  thy  promises, 
so  it  be  in  our  prayers, 
so  it  shall  be  to  thy  praise. 

By  this  prayer  of  our  Lord 
the  Father  bless, 
the  Son  adore, 
the  Spirit  praise, 
Forever  more.     Amen. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  WRITTEN  WORK. 

1  Why  is  prayer  important? 

2  What  is  the  essence  of  prayer? 

3  Whom  must  we  address  in  our  prayers? 

4  In  whose  Name  ought  we  to  pray? 

5  Which  are  the  requisites  of  prayer? 

6  Who  is  our  great  Helper  for  acceptable  prayer? 

7  Is  it  the  duty  of  the  unconverted  to  pray? 

8  When  and  where  are  we  to  pray? 

9  For  whom  should  we  pray? 

10  What  can  you  say  about  the  Lord's  Prayer? 

11  Should  all  sorts  of  people  use  it? 

12  What  does  the  preface  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  mean? 

13  Give  the  main  contents  of  each  of  the  six  petitions  of  the  Lord's  Prayer, 
li  What  does  the  Doxology  involve? 

15  What  does    "Amen"    signify? 


THE    END. 


COMPARATIVE   TABLE. 


Those  -who  desire  to  use  the  "Compenditiin   Explained' 

in  studying  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,   \\'ill  find 

the  folloMring  table  useful. 


For 

Lord's 

Day  1 — see  page  13. 

2— p.  17,  21. 

3 — p.    22,   27,   35. 

4— p.  39. 

5— p.    45. 

6— p.    49. 

7 — p.    52-60. 

8^p.   60-72. 

9 — p.    79. 
10 — p.    87. 
11 — p.    93-101. 
12 — p.   103. 
13 — p.   95-96. 
14 — p.    96,    116. 
15 — p.    116,    117. 
16 — p.    107,    118. 
17 — p.  119. 
18 — p.   120. 
19 — p.    120,    150,    159 
'         20 — p.   122. 

21 — p.    131,    149. 

22 — p.   151,    156. 

23— p.    160. 

24 — p.    164,    213,    222 

25— p.     180. 

26 — p.   184. 

For 


Lord's  Day  27 — p.    190. 

28 — p.   199. 

29 — p.  202. 
"         30 — p.   203,    206. 

31 — p.  208. 

32 — p.   211. 

33 — p.    218,   224. 

34 — p.   231. 

35 — p.    232. 

36 — p.  233. 

37 — p.  234. 

38 — p.  234. 

39 — p.   238. 

10 — p.   239. 

41 — p.   239. 

42 — p.  240. 

43 — p.  241. 

44 — p.  241. 

45 — p.    243,   247. 

46 — p.  247. 
"         47 — p.  248. 

48 — p.  248. 

49 — p.  248. 

50 — p.  248. 

51 — p.   249. 

52 — p.  249. 


INDEX. 


Aaron,  type  of  Christ,   106,  note. 

Abiding  in  Christ,   228. 

Abraham,  Covenant  with,  172  ff. 

Accidents,  91. 

Acquired  knowledge  of   God,   3. 

Adam  and  £ve,   27. 

Adam's   fall   and   posterity,    31. 

Adam  federal  head  of  race,   32. 

Adoption,  part  of  justification,  163. 

Adventists    and    annihilation,    41. 

Adventists  and  Sabbath,   236. 

Advocate  in  heaven,   Christ,   112. 

Advocate  on  earth.  Holy  Spirit,  129. 

Agapae,    199. 

Agnostics,  3. 

American  Standard  Eevision,   10. 

Anabaptists  and  incarnation,    99. 

Anabaptists  and  oaths,    234. 

Anarchists  and  property,   240. 

Angels,  fall  and  savableness,  46. 

Angels,   nature,   names,    82. 

Angels,    power,    number,    relation    to    be- 
lievers,  orders,    83. 

Angels  not  mediators,   51; 

Election    of,    143. 

Animals,    Dominion   over,    23. 

Animism,  2. 

Annihilationists,  41. 

Anointing   of  Christ,    103. 

Antichrists   and   Antichrist,    150,    151. 

Antinomians  and   law,    105;    good  works, 
212. 

Apocrypha,    (Bible    books),    8. 

Apollinaris'    heresy,    97. 

Apostles   and  their   marks,    137. 

Apostles'  Creed, origin  and  growth,  60,  11. 

Archangels,    83. 

Arguments  for  Bible,   5. 

Arguments  for  God's  existence,   61. 

Arguments  for  immortality. 

Arguments  for  Messiaship   of  Christ,    49, 
102. 


Arminians  and  Atonement,   109. 

Arminians  and  Canons  of  Dordrecht,  12; 
cf.    141. 

Ascension  of  Christ,   120. 

Assurance  of  faith,    55. 

Athanasius.     Creed   of,    11. 

Atheists,    3. 

Atonement,  names,  107;  nature,  108;  ex- 
tent, 109;  contents,  theories,  109; 
design,110;  limited  or  unlimited,lll. 

Attributes  of  God,  incommunicable  and 
communicable,    66  ff. 

Augsburg  Confession,   11. 

Augustinian  view  of  sin,   38. 

Authority  of  Bible,   10. 

Authorized  Version,    10. 

Babylon,   ecclesiastical,    151. 

Baptism,  184;  formula,  of  necessity,  of 
John,    187;    subjects,    187. 

Baptists,    190. 

Baptists,   Seventh  Day,    236. 

Beast  out  of  Earth,  and  out  of  Sea,   151. 

Belgic  Confession  of  Faith,   12. 

Bible — names  for,  4;  inspiration,  5;  ar- 
guments for,  5 ;  number  of  books,  8 ; 
canonical  and  apocryphical,  8; 
qualities,  9;  translations,  10;  di- 
vision of  chapters  and  verses,  11; 
means   of  grace,    180. 

Bishops  of  church,  137. 

Blessing  of  High  Priest,   113. 

Brahmanism,    1. 

Buddhism,   1. 

Burial  of  Christ,   118. 

Calling,  external,  internal,  general, 
creative,    contents,    146    ff. 

Calvinism's   glory,    13. 

Calvinistic  view  of  atonement,    109. 

Calvinistic  view  of  worship,   232. 

Canonical  Bible  books,  8. 

Canons   of  Dordrecht,    12. 


254 


THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 


Catechisms — Komau,    Greek,    Protestant, 

11. 

Ceremouial  Law,   17. 

Ceremonial  part  of  4tli  commandment, 
236. 

Chalcedon,   Creed  of,    11. 

Chalcedon,  Creed  of,  on  relation  of 
Christ's  natures,  98. 

Chastisements,   228,    163. 

Cherubim  and  Seraphim,  83. 

Children,   election  and  salvation,   146. 

Christ's  natures,  93  ff. ;  sinlessness,  99; 
names,  101;  anointing,  103;  offices, 
103  ff.;  atonement,  107;  states,  115 
ff.;  of  humiliation,  116;  exaltation, 
119  ff.;  head  of  church,  143;  Sec- 
ond Coming,   156. 

Christian,   meaning   of  name,    114. 

Christian  Religion,  nature  1;  supreme,  3; 
purpose,    13. 

"Christian   Science  Bible,"    10. 

"Christian  Science"  and  sin,  28;  trini- 
ty, 73;  creation,  80;  devils,  84;  in- 
carnation,   97;    resurrection,    120. 

Church,  essence,  131;  attributes,  132; 
militant  and  triumphant,  133;  vis- 
ible and  invisible,  134;  organism, 
134;  church  and  kingdom,  134; 
marks,  134;  office  bearers,  137; 
duty,  138;  mission  work,  138;  duty 
to  join,  138;  living  members,  139; 
election,  140;  calling,  146;  commu- 
nion of  saints,  148;  resurrection, 
151;  judgment,  154;  eternal  life, 
156;   church  a  mother,  182. 

Church   commandments   of    (R.    C),    223. 

Church  Discipline,   208  ff. 

Circumcision,   182. 

Civil  Law  of  O.  T.,  17. 

Comforting  of  Holy  Spirit,   129. 

Comfort  of  Chr.  religion,   14. 

Common  grace,  69,  124. 

Communicable   attributes   of   God,    69. 

Communion,   see  Lord's   Supper,    199. 

Communion  of  saints,  148;  responsibil- 
ity and  benefit,    149. 

"Compendium"     published,translated,  12. 

Completeness  of  Bible,    9. 

Conditional   Immortality,    157. 

Confucianism,   2. 

Conscience  of  man,  87. 


Consubstantiation,  204. 

Conversion,  nature,  218;  parts,  219; 
kinds,   222. 

Covenant  of  grace  and  children,  145; 
names  and  nature,  169;  definition, 
170;  basis,  170;  establishment  and 
dispensations,  172;  periods,  173; 
oneness  in  dispensations,  173; 
members,  174;  internal  and  ex- 
ternal, 176;  Surety  of,  176;  Christ 
bead,  a  testament,  promises  and 
obligations,    177. 

Covenant   of   Redemption,    170. 

Covenant  of  Sinai,   173. 

Covenant  of  works,   names,   elements,   32. 

Covenant  with  Noah,   172. 

Creation — essence,  78;  author,  80; 
cause,  time,  order,  81;  chief  crea- 
tures,  81;    purpose,   87. 

Creationism,    85. 

Creeds  of  Christendom,   11. 

Crucifixion,   its  nature,    117. 

Deacons,    elders,    ministers,    137,    138. 

Dead,   Baptism  for 

Dead  in  trespasses,  25. 

Death,    spiritual,    corporal,    eternal,    30. 

Death,  eternal,   156. 

Death  of  Christ,  117.  See  also  Atone- 
ment. 

Decalogue,  17;  still  in  force,  181;  divi- 
sion, 18 ;  love  its  great  requirement, 
19;  explanat  on  of,  chapter  XXVIII, 
p.  231. 

Depravity,  cause,  22;   total,  38. 

Descent  into  liell    (meaning),   118. 

Devil,  moving  cause  of  fall,  29;  fallen 
angels,  83;  fall,  cause,  manner,  pos- 
sibility, time,  head,  power,  number, 
doom,   84   ff. ;    in   judgment,    155. 

Dichotomy  of  man,  85. 

Discipline  of  church,  208  ff. 

Dispensations  of  covenant,    173. 

Dordrecht,   Canons  of,    11. 

Doxology   of   Lord's   Prayer,   249. 

Dunkers,   four   sacraments,   183. 

Eden,  name  for  Paradise,  27. 

Elders,    deacons,   ministers,    137,    138. 

Election  and  Reprobation,   140-143. 

Election,    personal,    in   Christ,    145. 

Emanation  theory  of  creation,  80. 

Episcopalian   view   of  bishops,   137. 


INDEX 


255 


Episcopalian  view  of  worship,  233. 

Eternal  life,  156-158. 

Eutychus'  heresy,  98. 

Evangelical    conversion,    221. 

Evangelists,   137. 

Evolution  and  creation,  80. 

Evolutionism,    23,    24. 

Excommunication,  form,  16;  part  of  dis- 
cipline,  208  ff. 

Faith — why  saved  by  it,  52;  true  faith 
in  its  elements:  knowledge,  assent, 
53;  confidence,  5i;  fleeing  and  as- 
sured confidence,  55;  weakness  in 
faith,  56;  historical  faith,  miracu- 
lous, and  temporary,  57;  implicit 
faith,  5i;  presumptuous,  58;  origin 
1  faitVi.  166;  instrument  in  justifi- 
cation,   165-167;    strengthening,   168. 

Fall  of  angels,  83. 

Fall  of  men,  possibility,  causes,  29. 

False  prophet  of  Rev.  16:  13  identical 
with  Antichrist,    161. 

Father,  name  of  God,  65,  71-7i. 

Faukelius,   author   of  Compendium,    12. 

Fetishism,  2. 

Forms  of  Liturgy  Reformed  Churches,  16. 

Formulas  of  Unity,    11. 

General  atonement — reliance  on,  58; 
Arminian    new,    109. 

Generationism,   85. 

"Glimmerings   of  natural  light,"    25. 

Gnostics  and  sin,  28;   creation,  80. 

God — existence,  61;  arguments  for  ex- 
istence, 61  ff.;  essence,  and  per- 
sonality, 63;  names,  64;  attributes, 
66  ff. ;  sovereignty,  70;  trinity  of 
persons,    71. 

Goodness  of  God  in  its  various  forms,  69. 

Good  works,  and  justification,  164;  re- 
ward, 164;  nature,  213;  purpose, 
214;  necessity,  216,  235;  of  con- 
version, 222;  principle,  rule,  aim, 
223. 

Governmental  theory   of   atonement,    109. 

Grace  of  God,  special  and  common,  69, 
124. 

Guide  de  Bray,  author  of  Belgic  Con- 
fession,   12. 

Hades  or  Sheol,    157. 

Heaven    or    Paradise,    157. 

Heidelberg  Catechism,   11. 


Hell,    40,   156,   157. 

Higher  Criticism,  10. 

Hinduism,    1. 

Holiness,   24,   46,  69. 

Holy  Spirit,  sin  against,  37;  persorality, 
77;  deity,  proofs,  122  ff.,  regener- 
ating, 125;  illuminating  and  lead- 
ing,   128;    comforting,    129. 

"Hope — larger,"   52. 

Hussites  and  communion   cup,    202. 

Illumination   of  Holy   Spirit,    128. 

Image  of  God  in  its  elements,  23;  re- 
stored, 104. 

Images  as   "books  for  laity,"    233. 

Immersion   and   sprinkling,    185   ff. 

Immortality    of    soul,    arguments,    86. 

Incorporation  in   Christ,    226. 

Indwelling  of  Holy  Spirit,   226. 

Infant  baptism,  190;  objections  and 
grounds,    191   ff. 

Infra-Lapsarism,    143. 

Innate  knowledge  o<"  God,  3. 

Inspiration,  mechanical,  partial,  concept, 
thought,  5. 

Inspiration  by  Holy  Spirit,   123. 

Intercession  of  Christ,  110;  defined,  na- 
ture,  112. 

Islam,   2. 

Jesus,  names,  titles,  etc.,  101.  See  Christ. 

Jews,    orthodox,    reformed,    radical,    2. 

"Joining  the   church,"    138. 

Judgment,  general,  final,  154;  stages, 
subjects,   155. 

Justice  of  God,  rectoral,  distributive, 
punitive,  69;   in  predestination,    141. 

Justification,  differing  from  sanctifica- 
tion,  161;  nature,  161;  author, 
name.  162;  passive  and  active,  162; 
its  two  parts,  remission  and  adop- 
tion, 163;  ground,  164;  means,  165; 
stages,  166. 

Keys  of  Kingdom,    135,   209. 

King,  Christ  our,  113;  his  Kingship  and 
Kingdom,  113;  of  God,  134;  of  hea- 
ven,   135. 

King  James  version  of  Bible,  10. 

Knowledge  of  God,  3,  68. 

Koran,  2. 

Laidlie,  A.,  translator  of  "Compen- 
dium,"   12. 

Law,  moral,  ceremonial,  civil,  17;  ex- 
plained as  rule  of  life,  231  ff. 


256 


THE  COMPENDIUM  EXPLAINED 


Law,   rules  for  explaining,   232. 

Leading   into   truth    of   Holy    Spirit,    128. 

Legal  conversion,   221. 

Life,  eternal,  156. 

Life,  spirit  of,   123. 

Limbus    Infantum    and    Patruni,    157. 

Liturgy   of  Reformed   churches,    16. 

Lord's  Prayer  explained,   247. 

Lord's  Supper,  names,  nature,  signs,  199; 
elements,  201;  erroneous  views,  202. 

Love  of  God,  69;  "Love  of  God  theory" 
of  atonement,   109. 

Love  to  God  and  men,   19. 

Lucifer,   name  of   Satan,   84. 

Lutheran  view  of  Ascension,  120;  of 
communion,   204;    of  worship,   233. 

Luther's  Bible  Version,   10. 

Man's   creation,    origin,    22,    85. 

Marks  of   Church    (R.   C),    136. 

Mass,    (R.   C),   202. 

Materialism  and  Creation,   80. 

Means  of  grace.  Word  and  Sacrament, 
179;   prayer, 

Mediator,  need  of,  47;  qualification..,  47; 
obedience  and  satisfaction,  50;  na- 
tures, 93;  proofs  of  godhead,  94; 
virgin  birth,  97;  relation  of  na- 
tures, 98;  sinlessness,  99;  names, 
101;  proofs  of  Messiahship,  102; 
offices,  103;  atonement,  107;  states, 
115   ff. 

Melchizedek,  offices,  103;  type  of  Christ, 
106,   note. 

Mennonites,    190. 

Mercy   of   God,    69,    141;    works   of,    235. 

Messiah^ — Christ   the   true,    102. 

Metempsychosis  or  Transmigration  of 
souls,    88. 

Militant    church,    133. 

Millennium,    153. 

Ministers,  elders,  deacons,   138. 

Miracles  defined,  89. 

Miracles  of  Christ,  prophetical,  priestly, 
royal,   104. 

Misery,  knowledge  of,   16. 

Missionary  duty  of  church,  1S8;  mission- 
ary motive  in 

Mohammed    and    Mohammedanism,    2. 

Mono -theism,   63. 

Moral  argument  for  God's  existence,   62. 

Moral  example  theory  of  atonement,   109. 


Moral  law,   17,   231. 

Mormon,  book  of,  10. 

Mormonism   and    Trinity,    73. 

Moses,  author  of  Bible  books,  4. 

Mysteries  of  the  Bible,   6. 

Mystics  and  necessity   of   Bible,    9. 

National   conversion,    222. 

Necessity,  Baptism  of,  187. 

Necessity,   works  of,   235. 

Nestorians  on  natures  of  Christ,  98 ;  sin- 
lessness of  Christ,  99. 

Netherland  Confession  of  Faith,   12. 

New  Theology  and  demons,  84;  sinless- 
ness of  Christ,  99;  resurrection,  119. 

Nicea,  Creed  of,  11. 

Ninevites'    conversion,    222. 

Noah,   covenant  with,   172. 

Oathswearing  in  courts  and  secret  so- 
cieties,  234. 

Obedience  of  Mediator,  active,  passive, 
50,    108,    176. 

Oberlin  school  and  sanctification,   226. 

Office-bearers  of  church,  extra-ordinary 
and   ordinary,    137. 

Offices  of  Christ,  15,  103;  of  believers, 
136. 

Olevianus,  and  Ursinus,  authors  of  the 
Heidelberg    Catechism,    11. 

Organism,  Church  as,   134. 

Original   sin,    35. 

Pantheism,    23,    63,   and   creation,    80. 

Papacy,  heading  apostate  Christianity, 
151. 

Paradise,  location  and  condition,  27; 
tragedy  of,  28;  same  as  heaven,  157. 

Paraclete,  name  of  Holy  Spirit,  129; 
Passover,   182. 

Pelagians,    Semi-Pelagians,    21,    38,    211. 

Perseverance   of  saints,   227. 

Perfectionism,    226. 

Personality  in  Christ,  49,  98;  in  man,  87. 

Plainness   of   Bible,    9. 

Pollution  of  sin,   35. 

Poly-theism,    2,    63. 

Pontius  Pilate,  117. 

Prayer:  importance,  243;  essence  and 
elements  and  address,  244;  requi- 
sites, 245;  time  and  place,  246; 
Lord's  Prayer   explained,    247. 

Predestination  decree,  141  ff. ;  misrep- 
resented,   144. 


INDEX 


257 


Pre-existentisin  of  souls,   86. 

Pre-millennial   views,    objections   to,    154. 

Preterition,   see  Reprobation. 

Probationary   command,    29. 

Prophet,    Christ  our   chief,    104. 

Prophets,   work  of,    105. 

Propitiation   of   Christ,    107. 

Providence:  essence,  88;  author,  parts, 
immediate  and  mediate,  89;  preser- 
vation, 89;  co-operation  and  govern- 
ment,   90;    objects   and   value,    91. 

Pseudo-religions,   1,   2. 

Punishment  of  sin,  39;  temporal,  eter- 
nal, 40  ff.;  degrees,  43. 

Purgatory,    157. 

Quakers    and    necessity    of    Bible,    9;    on 

oaths,  234;  on  sacraments,  183;  on 
sanctiflcation,  226. 

Ransom.  Christ  our,   107. 

Ranters,    (Anti-nomians),    212. 

Rapture,   The,    153. 

Reconciliation,   107. 

Regeneration,  125;  mysterious,  momen- 
tary, radical,  permanent,  free,  126; 
time,  function  of  Word,  127;  and 
conversion,  219;  and  sanctification, 
226. 

Religion:  meaning  of  word,  christian 
and  false,   1. 

Remonstrants,  atonement,  109;  election, 
141;   perseverance,   227. 

Repentance,   219. 

Reprobation   and  Election,    141-145. 

Resting   on   Sabbath,    235. 

Eestorationists,    41. 

Resurrection   of   Christ,    119. 

Resurrection  of  the  dead,  151;  of  just 
and  unjust,  152;  two  stages,  163. 

Revelation    20:  1-7    explained,    154. 

Revelation,    general  and  special,   3,   5. 

Rules   for   explaining  Moral  Law,    232. 

Russellism  and  annihilation,  41;  Trinity, 
73;    resurrection    of   Christ,    120. 

Sabbatarians,    236. 

Sabbath   command,    234;    worship,    234. 

Sacraments  in  general,  of  O.  and  N.  T., 
181  ff. 

Sacraments,    seven,   of   Rome,    183. 

Saints,  not  mediators,  51 ;  perseverance 
of,   227. 


Sanctification,  names,  nature,  223;  two 
sides,  225;  imperfect  in  this  life, 
226;   abiding,  227. 

Satan,  see  Devil. 

Satan,  binding  of,   1000  years,   154. 

Satisfaction  of  Mediator,  actual,  com- 
plete, personal,  50;  as  substitute, 
107   ff. 

Savior — and  meaning  of   saving,    102. 

"Science  and  Health,"  10. 

Second  Coming  of  Christ,  150 ;  signs  of, 
150;  resurrection  at,  151;  rapture, 
great   tribulation,    millennium,    153. 

Second  Death,   40. 

Second  Probation,   156. 

Septuagint    (Greek:    O.  T.),   10. 

Serpent   of    Paradise,    29. 

Seven  Deadly  Sins    (R.  C),   37. 

SeventhDay  Adventists  and  Baptists,236. 

Sheol  or  Hades,   157. 

Shintoism,    2. 

Sin,  at  fall,  28;  original  and  actual,  35; 
kinds  of,  37;  against  Holy  Spirit, 
37;   punishment  of,  39. 

Sinai,  law-giving  at,  105;  covenant  at, 
173. 

Sitting  at  right  hand  of  God,   120. 

Six  sins  against  the  Spirit    (R.  C),   37. 

Socinians  and  trinity,  73;   new  law,   105. 

Son  of  God,   71-75.      See  Christ. 

Soul  of  man,  origin,  85;  nature,  immor- 
tality,   86;    faculties,    conscience,   87. 

Soul  sleep,   156. 

Sovereignty  of   God,    70,    135,    46. 

Spinoza  and  sin,   28. 

Spiritists  and  necessity  of  Bible,   9. 

Sprinkling  as  mode   of   baptism,    186. 

States  Bible    (Dutch),   10. 

States  of  Mediator,  115  ff. ;  humiliation, 
116;    exaltation,    119. 

Substitute,  Christ  our,   103,  116. 

Suffering  of  Christ,    116. 

Sunday   question,    236. 

Supra-Lapsarism,    144. 

Suretyship   of   Christ,    176   ff. 

Taoism,   1. 

Temptation   of   Jesus,    100. 

Testament,  name  for  Bible,  10;  for 
Covenant  of  Grace,  177. 


258 


THE  COMPENDIUM   EXPLAINED 


Testimony  of  Holy  Spirit  concerning  the 
Bible,   7;    assurance  of  faith,   56. 

Theosophy  and  sin,  29. 

Titles  and  names  of  Savior,  101. 

Total  depravity,  35,  38. 

Traducianism,   85. 

Transmigration  of  souls,   86. 

Transubstantiation,    202. 

Tree,  forbidden,   of  life,   27,  29,  31. 

Tribal  conversion,  222. 

Tribulation,  the  great,   153. 

Trichotomy  of  man,  85. 

Trinity  of  God,  71;  denied,  73;  gradual 
revelation,  73;  proofs,  74;  personal 
properties, 74;  order  of  existence,  75. 

Triumphant  church,    133. 

Truthfulness   of   God,    46. 

Unitarians  and   Trinity,    73. 

Universalists,  41. 

"Unknowable"  God,  3. 

Unpardonable   sin,   37. 

Ursinus  and  Olevianus,  authors  of  Heidel- 
berg Catechism,    11. 


'  'Utrecht  Conclusions' '  on  regeneration, 
127;  Supra  and  Infra,  144;  Justifi- 
cation,  166. 

Virgin  birth  of  Jesus,  97. 

Voluntary   poverty,    223. 

Vulgate    (Latin)   Bible,  10. 

Wesleyan  Arminians  and  Perfectionism, 
226. 

Westminster   Creed  and  Catechisms,    11. 

Will  of  God,   secret,  revealed,   68,   141. 

Witchcraft,  2. 

Word  of  God,  title  of  Christ,   105. 

Word  of  God,  in  regeneration,  127;  in 
faith,  167;  as  means  of  grace,  180. 
See  also  Bible. 

Works  of  necessity  and  mercy,  235. 

Worship,  different  views  of,  232  ff.;  Cal- 
vinistic,  Puritan,  Lutheran,  Epis- 
copalian. 

Wrath   of   God,    4. 

Wycliffe's  Bible  Version,  10. 

Zoroastrianism,  2. 

Zwinglian  view  of  Communion,  204. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


Chapter 
I. 


II. 

III. 
IV. 
V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 
X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 
XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 


Page 
Introductory:  religion  and  sources  of  knowledge, 
general  and  special  revelation,  the  Bible,  Greeds 

of  Christendom  1 

The  Christian's  comfort;  three  means  to  obtain  it; 
law,  teacher  of  sin 13 

Sin  ruined  us:  God  created  us  good 21 

The  cause  of  our  ruin;  the  Fall,  Covenant  of  Works  27 
Results  of  the  Fall:  original  sin,  total  depravity, 

punishment  35 

The  Mediator  we  need 45 

Faith  in  its  elements  and  kinds  51 

Apostles'  Creed,  existence,  essence  and  names  of 

God  60 

The  Attributes  of  God  66 

The  Holy  Trinity 71 

Creation  and  Providence 79 

The  Natures  of  the  Mediator:  divine  and  human....  93 

Christ's  Names  and  Offices.     The  Atonement 101 

The  States  of  the  Mediator 115 

The  Holy  Spirit  and  his  Work;  common  and  spe- 
cial grace;  regeneration;  leading  and  comforting 

of  God's  people  122 

The  Church  and  its  attributes,  distinctions,  marks, 

office-bearers,  duty  131 

The  Church  chosen,  called,  communion  of  saints, 
second  coming  of  Christ,  resurrection,  judg- 
ment, eternal  life  and  eternal   death 140 

Justification:  the  profit  of  faith  and  faith's  origin. .160 

The  Covenant  of  Grace  169 

The  Sacraments  in  General,  and  Baptism 179 

Infant  Baptism  190 

The  Lord's  Supper  and  Discipline  198 

Good  Works  211 

Conversion    218 

Sanctification  224 

The  Law  as  Rule  of  Life  231 

Prayer  in'  General  and  the  Lord's  Prayer 243 

Comparative  Table  252 

Index    253 


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